Inter secure first-ever Finnish league title

Honka runners-up despite defeat; Lahti overhaul HJK Helsinki for last European spot

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FC Inter of Turku became the 2008 Finnish Veikkaus League champions on Sunday, winning 2-0 at home to Jaro while their closest rivals FC Honka from Espoo were sliding to a 3-2 defeat at the hands of IFK Mariehamn.
      When the final whistles blew in Turku and Mariehamn, Inter were four points clear at the top of the table, with 54 points from their 26 matches.
     
The weather certainly did not favour football on the last day of the season, and it was touch and go whether the match in Turku would go ahead at all on a badly waterlogged pitch. This of course once again raised questions about the scheduling of the Finnish league, and the wisdom of settling matters in conditions more suited to skiers - or in this case, water-skiers.
      Inter nevertheless did the business through an early headed goal from Severi Paajanen and a second five minutes from time from Domagoj Abramovic.
      Inter had not been among the favourites for the title at the beginning of the season, but the team under Dutch coach Job Dragtsma blew away the opposition in the early stages during a crowded May schedule when they won seven and drew one of their nine games.
      Forty-six goals scored and only 12 conceded in the entire season demonstrated their worth as champions for the first time. Inter were also the only team in the league to remain unbeaten at home, taking nine wins and four draws from their 13 home matches.
     
FC Honka were also receiving their first medals, and though they fell short, and also fell just shy of winning a place in the UEFA Cup group stage, they can look back on a fine season.
      They went to Mariehamn knowing things were not in their own hands after a couple of late-season setbacks, and within 13 minutes they were 1-0 down and heard the news from Turku of Inter's first goal.
      They equalised twice, to 1-1 and 2-2, but in the end it mattered little that that lost their final game to a goal from Tommy Wirtanen in injury time - even victory would not have been enough.
     
Third place went to FC Lahti, who came to Helsinki knowing only a win against HJK would be enough to overhaul the team from the capital.
      They duly took a 1-0 victory through a second-half goal from Drilon Shala and snatched 3rd by a single point.
      One of the medallists in the Lahti side was none other than Jari Litmanen, collecting his first honours in Finnish club football, although he has won a good deal during his career with clubs like Ajax, Barcelona, and Liverpool.
     
Relegation beckons for bottom-of the table KooTeePee from Kotka, and KuPS of Kuopio, who finished just above them, will play off against Viikingit from the Helsinki suburb of Vuosaari for the right to play in the top division next year.
      KooTeePee's place will be taken by the Jyväskylä side JJK, who won the First Division.
      JJK's arrival will be a welcome boost. The club has enjoyed quite good gates for its matches in the lower division, and the Veikkaus League needs all the supporters it can muster: aggregate attendances fell this season for the first time in five years.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Weekend sees climax to Veikkaus League season (24.10.2008)
  Inter and Honka goalless in the rain: Finnish title goes down to final two rounds (6.10.2008)

Links:
  Final League Table
  Veikkaus League (Wikipedia)

Helsingin Sanomat