The 2017 Veikkausliiga was the 87th season of top-tier football in Finland. IFK Mariehamn were the defending champions.
Fixtures for the 2017 season were announced on 19 January 2017. The season started on 5 April 2017 and ended on 28 October 2017.
Teams PK-35 Vantaa were relegated to Ykkönen after finishing at the bottom of the 2016 season. Their place was taken by Ykkönen champions JJK.
FC Inter as 11th-placed team regained their Veikkausliiga spot after beating the second-placed Ykkönen team TPS 2–0 on aggregate in a relegation/promotion playoff.
Stadia and locations
ClubLocationStadiumTurfCapacityFC Inter TurkuTurkuVeritas StadionNatural10,000FC LahtiLahtiLahden StadionNatural15,000HIFK FotbollHelsinkiTelia 5G -areenaArtificial10,770Helsingin JalkapalloklubiHelsinkiTelia 5G -areenaArtificial10,770IFK MariehamnMariehamnWiklöf Holding ArenaNatural4,000FC IlvesTampereTammelan StadionNatural5,040JJK JyväskyläJyväskyläHarjun stadion Natural3,000Kuopion PalloseuraKuopioSavon Sanomat AreenaArtificial5,000Palloseura Kemi KingsKemiSauvosaaren UrheilupuistoNatural4,500RoPSRovaniemiRovaniemen keskuskenttäArtificial4,000Seinäjoen JalkapallokerhoSeinäjokiOmaSP StadionArtificial6,000Vaasan PalloseuraVaasaElisa StadionArtificial6,000
Personnel and kits ClubManagerCaptainKit manufacturerSponsorsFC Inter NikeAlfons HåkansFC Lahti UmbroBE Group Lahti Energia HaltonHIFK PumaAktia BankHJK Rafinha AdidasApuIFK Mariehamn PumaHotell ArkipelagIlves AdidasVariousJJK NikeHarviaKuPS PumaLaitilan WirvoitusjuomatehdasPS Kemi StannoVariousRoPS PumaSarawareSJK Brian Page AdidasLähiTapiola EPKK Prima PowerVPS PumaVarious
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyIncoming managerDate of appointmentTableKuPS Marko RajamäkiEnd of contractn/a Jani Honkavaara17 October 2016Pre-seasonSJK Simo ValakariSacked17 February 2017 Sixten Boström20 February 2017Pre-seasonSJK Sixten BoströmSacked2 June 2017 Manuel Roca2 June 20178thFC Inter Turku Shefki KuqiSacked3 August 2017 Fabrizio Piccareta3 August 20179thSJK Manuel RocaSacked9 September 2017 Brian Page 9 September 20175th
League table
Results Each team plays three times against every other team, either twice at home and once away or once at home and twice away, for a total of 33 matches played each.
Matches 1–22
Matches 23–33
Relegation play-offs First Match
Second Match
FC Honka won 1-1 on away goals.
Statistics Top scorers Source: veikkausliiga.com
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Aleksei KangaskolkkaIFK Mariehamn162 TucoIlves15 Filip ValenčičHJK4 Akseli PelvasHJK145 Marko SimonovskiFC Lahti136 Billy IonsSJK127 Gaël EtockJJK11 Alfredo MorelosHJK9 Pekka SihvolaHIFK1010 Timo FuruholmFC Inter9 StênioFC Lahti Benjamin KällmanFC Inter Gbolahan SalamiKuPS Urho NissiläKuPS
Awards MonthCoach of the MonthPlayer of the MonthAprilVeikkausliigan kuukauden parhaat valittu, Veikkausliiga.com, Mika Lehkosuo (HJK) Alfredo Morelos (HJK)MayMorelos jälleen kuukauden pelaajaksi, Veikkausliiga.com, Jani Honkavaara (KuPS) Alfredo Morelos (HJK)June Mika Lehkosuo (HJK) Filip Valenčič (PS Kemi)July Toni Korkeakunnas (FC Lahti) Santeri Hostikka (FC Lahti)August Jarkko Wiss (Ilves) Akseli Pelvas (HJK)
Annual awards AwardWinnerClubPlayer of the Year Filip ValenčičHJK Goalkeeper of the Year Aleksandr VasyutinLahti Defender of the Year Juha PirinenHJK Midfielder of the Year Anthony AnnanHJK Striker of the Year Filip ValenčičHJK Breakthrough of the Year Kaan KairinenInter Turku Coach of the Year Mika LehkosuoHJK
Team of the Year
Team of the YearGoalkeeper Aleksandr Vasjutin (Lahti)Defence Albin Granlund (Mariehamn)Hannu Patronen (HJK) Hamed Coulibaly (KuPS)Juha Pirinen (HJK)MidfieldRasmus Karjalainen (PS Kemi)Anthony Annan (HJK) Filip Valenčič (HJK)Santeri Hostikka (Lahti)Attack Aleksei Kangaskolkka (Mariehamn) Ariel Ngueukam (Ilves)
Attendances
No. Club Average Change Highest 1 HJK 4,779 −6.3% 10,500 2 Ilves 3,462 +3.3% 5,050 3 HIFK 3,162 −12.9% 10,500 4 SJK 2,990 −3.7% 4,023 5 KuPS 2,724 +29.9% 4,432 6 Lahti 2,469 +20.3% 4,099 7 VPS 2,248 −23.4% 3,123 8 Inter Turku 2,235 −0.9% 3,512 9 RoPS 1,566 −11.2% 2,921 10 JJK 1,559 −10.2% 2,346 11 Mariehamn 1,304 −13.2% 2,207 12 Kemi 1,125 −27.4% 3,325Source:
References