FC Honka

FC Honka
Full name FC Honka Espoo
Founded 1957
Ground Tapiolan Urheilupuisto,
Espoo
Ground Capacity 6,000
Chairman Harri Pellikka
Manager Juho Rantala
League Kakkonen
2016 Kakkonen, 1st

FC Honka Espoo (commonly known as FC Honka or Esport Honka) is a Finnish football club, based in Espoo. It was promoted into the Finnish premier division (Veikkausliiga), for the first time in its history, at the end of the 2005 season. The club's manager is Juho Rantala and it plays its home matches at Tapiolan urheilupuisto. It was founded in 1957 as Tapion Honka, and changed its name to FC Honka in 1975.

FC Honka is largely renowned in Finland for its extensive youth scheme with over 1000 youth players playing in various age groups.

Until 2005 FC Honka was thought of as a "nearly, but not quite" team, always underachieving in the Finnish First Division (Ykkönen). In the late 1990s the objective was promotion but year after year they failed. In the beginning of the 21st century FC Honka almost went bankrupt but was saved at the last moment. In early 2005 the club was taken over by Jouko Pakarinen and Jouko Harjunpää, who had a plan to turn FC Honka from underachievers to a UEFA Champions League candidate.

In the first year of their take-over of FC Honka, the management succeeded in assembling a squad which won the First Division (Ykkönen) with ease and also made the semi-finals of the Finnish Cup where they eventually lost 1–0 to FC Haka.

FC Honka was able to fight for top positions instantly, but narrowly missed the top three in their first two seasons. However, in 2007 team lost the Finnish Cup final to Tampere United on penalties. As Tampere United also won the league title, FC Honka qualified for the 2008–09 UEFA Cup. In 2008, FC Honka achieved its first medal by finishing 2nd in the league.

FC Honka won the Finnish Cup in 2012. Due to financial difficulties the team was relegated to the third tier Kakkonen in 2015. FC Honka dominated their first season in Kakkonen and lost only two games, but were defeated in the promotion battle. After the 2016 season the team was promoted to the second tier Ykkönen.

Honours

European competitions

As runners-up in yh 2007 Finnish Cup to Tampere United, who had also won the league title, FC Honka qualified for the 2008–09 UEFA Cup, beating Icelandic ÍA 4–2 in the 1st qualifying round and Norwegian Viking in the 2nd. In the first round of actual competition, they were drawn against Racing Santander and lost 0–2 on aggregate.

Next year, Honka qualified for the new UEFA Europa League, starting from the second qualifying round. The club beat Welsh Bangor City F.C. 3–0 on aggregate but lost 1–3 to FK Karabakh from Azerbaijan in the third qualifying round.

For the 2010–11 season, FC Honka was again drawn against Bangor City in the second round but lost 3–2 on aggregate.

During the winter of 2009, Honka won the annual La Manga Cup, beating Nordsjaelland in the final.

European cups record

Competition Pld W D L GF GA
UEFA Europa League / UEFA Cup 16 5 3 8 12 16
UEFA Intertoto Cup 4 1 3 0 7 5
Total 20 6 6 8 19 21

Matches

Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate
2007 UEFA Intertoto Cup First round Estonia TVMK 0–0 4–2 4–2
Second round Denmark AaB 2–2 1–1 3–3 (a)
2008–09 UEFA Cup First qualifying round Iceland IA Akranes 3–0 1–2 4–2
Second qualifying round Norway Viking Stavanger 0–0 2–1 2–1
First round Spain Racing Santander 0–1 0–1 0–2
2009–10 UEFA Europa League Second qualifying round Wales Bangor City 2–0 1–0 3–0
Third qualifying round Azerbaijan Qarabağ FK 0–1 1–2 1–3
2010–11 UEFA Europa League Second qualifying round Wales Bangor City 1–1 1–2 2–3
2011–12 UEFA Europa League First qualifying round Estonia JK Nõmme Kalju 0–0 2–0 2–0
Second qualifying round Sweden BK Häcken 0–2 0–1 0–3
2013–14 UEFA Europa League Second qualifying round Poland Lech Poznań 1–3 1–2 2–5
2014–15 UEFA Europa League First qualifying round Estonia Sillamäe Kalev 3–2 1–2 4–4 (a)

UEFA club ranking

This is the UEFA Club Ranking As of June 2014, including season 2013–14.[1]

Last update: 24 June 2014

Rank Team Points
299 Bulgaria PFC Cherno More Varna4.125
300 Latvia Skonto FC4.000
301 Bosnia and Herzegovina HŠK Zrinjski Mostar4.000
302 Latvia FK Liepājas Metalurgs4.000
303 Finland FC Honka 3.935
304 Norway Fredrikstad FK3.855
305 Iceland Breiðablik UBK3.850
306 Moldova FC Milsami Orhei3.825
307 Azerbaijan Khazar Lankaran FK3.825

Season to season

Season Level Division Section Administration Position Movements
1994 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Section 1 Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd Playoffs – Promoted
1995 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) South Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd Promoted
1996 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) South Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 5th
1997 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) South Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 5th Promotion Group 9th
1998 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) South Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 6th Relegation Group South 6th
1999 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) South Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 5th Promotion Group 5th
2000 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) South Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 7th Relegation Group South 6th
2001 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) South Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
2002 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) South Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd Lower Group South 3rd
2003 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
2004 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 3rd
2005 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Promoted
2006 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
2007 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
2008 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd
2009 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd
2010 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
2011 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 4th
2012 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 7th
2013 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 2nd
2014 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 11th Did not get a new Veikkausliiga license due to finances. Continued in Kakkonen (Tier 3).
2015 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) South Group Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Playoffs – Not promoted
2016 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) Group B Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto) 1st Playoffs – Promoted

Current squad

As of 13 July 2016.[2] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Finland GK Ville Hursti
2 Finland DF Alex Lehtinen
3 Finland DF Anton Ropa
4 Finland DF Robert Ivanov
5 Finland MF Valte Vuorela
6 Finland DF Antti Uimaniemi
7 Finland MF Miko Puuskari
8 Brazil MF Filipe Mello
9 Brazil FW Jean Silva
10 Finland MF John Weckström
11 Finland MF Calvin N'Sombo
12 Finland GK Lauri Jylhä
13 Finland GK Mika Johansson
14 Finland FW Karim Jouini
15 Finland DF Jatuli Laevuo
17 Finland MF Toni Sjöstedt
18 Finland DF Jere Siltala
19 Finland MF Antonio Inutile
No. Position Player
20 Finland MF Nicholas Otaru
21 Finland MF Joel Perovuo
22 Finland DF Eero Haapala
23 Finland FW Kasperi Liikonen
24 Finland FW Rony Huhtala
25 Brazil MF Douglas Silveira
28 Finland DF Tommi Saarinen
33 Finland MF Roni Porokara
35 Finland MF Ville Tuomela
77 Finland DF Aleksi Jokela
27 Democratic Republic of the Congo MF Didis Lutumba-Pitah
82 Finland MF Riku Selander
86 Finland MF Simo Räsänen
91 Finland DF Sampo Koskinen
92 Finland MF Roope Lappalainen
99 Brazil MF Lucas dos Santos Oliveira
Thailand DF Patrick Aaltonen

Available youth players

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player

Managers

References

  1. "Club coefficients 2013/14". UEFA.com. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  2. "FC Honka" (in Finnish). Suomen Palloliitto. Retrieved 25 April 2016.

External links

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