The 2002 season was the 72nd completed season of Finnish Football League Championship, known as the Veikkausliiga. At the same time it was the 13th season of the Veikkausliiga. This season three teams could promote from the 2nd division and only one would relegate, because the Veikkausliiga would extend its number of participating teams from 12 to 14, starting the 2003 season.
Overview The Veikkausliiga is administered by the Finnish Football Association and the competition's 2002 season was contested by 12 teams. Following the Preliminary Stage, the higher eight teams progressed to the Championship Group while the lower four teams competed in the promotion/relegation group with the higher 4 teams from the Ykkönen. HJK Helsinki won the championship and qualified for the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League qualification round, while the second and third placed teams qualified for the first qualification round of the 2003–04 UEFA Cup. The fourth placed team qualified for the UEFA Intertoto Cup 2002, while VPS Vaasa were relegated to the Ykkönen.
Participating clubs In 2002 there were 12 participants in the Veikkausliiga:
Allianssi Vantaa - previously Atlantis Helsinki FC Jazz Pori FC Hämeenlinna - Promoted from Ykkönen FC Lahti Haka Valkeakoski HJK Helsinki Inter Turku Jaro Pietarsaari - Promoted from Ykkönen KuPS Kuopio MyPa 47 Anjalankoski Tampere United VPS Vaasa
Preliminary stage Table
Results
Final stage
Championship group Table
Results
Relegation group Table
Leading scorers Rank Player ClubGoals 1 Mika Kottila HJK Helsinki 18 2 Valeri Popovitch Haka Valkeakoski 17 3 Petteri Kaijasilta Allianssi Vantaa 13 3 Saku Puhakainen MyPa 47 Anjalankoski 13 5 Richard Teberio Inter Turku 11
Attendances
No. Club Average 1 Tampere 3,202 2 HJK 2,770 3 Inter Turku 2,286 4 KuPS 2,279 5 VPS 2,169 6 MyPa 1,741 7 Haka 1,653 8 Jaro 1,549 9 Lahti 1,507 10 Jazz 1,382 11 Allianssi 1,369 12 Hämeenlinna 1,325Source:
Footnotes
References Finland - List of final tables (RSSSF)