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Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat

Full name	Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat
Nickname(s)	KTP
Founded	22 September 1927
Ground	Arto Tolsa Areena, Kotka, Finland
Capacity	4,780
Chairman	Jukka Mustonen
Manager	Jonas Nyholm
League	Veikkausliiga
2024	Ykkösliiga, 1st of 10 (champions; promoted)
Website	http://www.fcktp.fi/
Home colours Away colours

Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat (abbreviated as KTP) is a Finnish football club based in Kotka, and currently competing in Finland's second-tier, the new Ykkösliiga. The club was founded in 1927 and its colours are green and white. Immediately after its formation the club joined the Finnish Workers' Sports Federation, to which it still belongs. KTP play its home matches at Arto Tolsa Areena.

History

KTP had a long football traditions centred on its golden age in the early 1950s when the club won two Finnish championships in 1951 and 1952. They also won the Finnish Cup four times, the most recent occasion being in 1980. The club, playing in the renamed Arto Tolsa Areena, were participating in the Veikkausliiga as recently as 2000, but were relegated to Ykkönen and finally went into bankruptcy. The club re-formed and played in the lower divisions before gaining promotion to the Kakkonen in 2007. They spent two seasons in the Kakkonen but were relegated in 2009. In 2010, the club are playing in the Kolmonen and was promoted to Kakkonen where they played 2011–2013.

Season 2014, KTP finished second in Ykkönen, and promoted to Finnish top league Veikkausliiga in season 2015. However, after a difficult 2015 Veikkausliiga season, club finished 11th in the league, and had to play a promotion play-off against PK-35. After two disappointing performances, the club lost on aggregate 3–2, and were relegated back to Ykkönen.

The all-time Championship appearances and leading goal scorer of KTP is Arto Tolsa with 126 goals in 201 matches.

Formation of FC KTP

During December 2013 a merger took place, as part of which FC KooTeePee adopted the name of FC Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat. As of the 2014 season the merged club were allowed to retain FC KooTeePee's place in the Ykkönen.

Since the start of 2022, a former KTP forward Niko Ikävalko is the sporting director of the club's first team.

Supporters and rivalries

KTP is one of the most supported clubs in Finland. Closest rival is MYPA. Distance between the two cities is little over 30 kilometres. However, when MYPA went bankrupt, the two clubs have not faced each other for many years. During December 2017 and January 2018, KTP sold 2273 season tickets, which is the all-time record in the Finnish First Division.

Stadium

The home venue of the KTP is Arto-Tolsa Arena. It was opened in 1952 and was known as the Kotkan Urheilukeskus, but in 2000 the full renovation of the stadium, the name was changed to the Arto Tolsa Arena. At the beginning of the 2015 season, the pitch was converted to an artificial playing surface. In fall 2023 KTP started demolish the old wooden stand and replace it with a new modern seated stand. The renovation was completed at the beginning of 2024 season.

Honours

European campaign

KTP have played in Europe on one occasion in the Cup Winners' Cup in the 1981–82 season, having won the Finnish Cup in 1980.

Season	Competition	Round	Country	Club	Score	Agg.
1981–82	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	First round		SC Bastia	0–0, v 0–5	0–5

Divisional Movements since 1930

Top Level (25 seasons): 1948–58, 1963–69, 1979–83, 1999–2000, 2015
Second Level (15 seasons): 1943/44, 1959–62, 1970–72, 1978, 1984, 1994–98, 2014, 2016, 2018-
Third Level (16 seasons): 1973–77, 1985–93, 2008–09, 2011–2013, 2017
Fourth Level (7 seasons): 2002–07, 2010
Fifth Level (1 season): 2001

Season to season

Current squad

As of 26 August 2024

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 2 DF  FIN Urho Huhtamäki 5 MF  CAN Armaan Wilson 6 DF  FIN Valtteri Vesiaho 7 MF  FIN Joni Mäkelä 9 FW  FIN Aleksi Tarvonen 10 MF  FIN Luca Weckström 11 FW  FIN Enoch Banza 14 MF  USA Constantine Edlund (on loan from Athens Kallithea) 15 FW  FIN Santeri Stenius 16 MF  FIN Anttoni Huttunen 17 DF  CMR Tabi Manga 20 FW  FIN Aleksi Tanninen

No. Pos. Nation Player 21 DF  FIN Mikko Sumusalo 24 FW  GHA Kwame Otu 25 GK  FIN Kristian Varis 26 DF  FIN Matias Paavola 28 MF  GEO Omar Todua (on loan from Dinamo Tbilisi) 30 FW  AUS Alen Harbas (on loan from Sydney FC II) 33 GK  UKR Maksym Zhuk — MF  NOR Marius Larsen — FW  SEN Assan Seck — GK  FIN Jiri Koski — MF  CMR Franck Ellé Essouma

On loan

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

First Team Managers since 1980

References

1. "Miehet 2021". KTP (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 24 June 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2021.

External links

• Official website
• Finnish Misplaced Pages
• Suomen Cup (archived 4 January 2009)
• KTP Fans Forum

• Football clubs in Finland
• Kotka
• 1927 establishments in Finland
• Association football clubs established in 1927
• Sport in Kymenlaakso