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	Jarkko Pippola
Manager	Jussi Leppälahti
League	Veikkausliiga
2023	Veikkausliiga, 12th of 12 (relegated)
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours

Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat (abbreviated as KTP) is a Finnish football club based in Kotka, and currently competing in Finland's premier league, Veikkausliiga. 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.

KTP team which won the Finnish championship in 1951

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.

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

Arto Tolsa-Areena

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.

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 21 July 2023^[1]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  FIN Rasmus Leislahti 2 DF  FIN Miska Rautiola 3 DF  FIN Lassi Nurmos 5 DF  NGA Michael Ogungbaro 6 DF  FIN Valtteri Vesiaho 7 MF  FIN Joni Mäkelä 8 MF  FIN Johannes Laaksonen 9 FW  FIN Aleksi Tarvonen 10 FW  CPV Willis Furtado 11 MF  CUB Willian Pozo-Venta 14 DF  FIN Juho Lehtiranta 16 MF  FIN Anttoni Huttunen

No. Pos. Nation Player 18 MF  CAN Damiano Pecile (on loan from Venezia) 19 DF  FIN Miska Ylitolva (on loan from HJK) 20 FW  FIN Simo Roiha 21 MF  SWE Gabriel Sandberg (on loan from Venezia) 22 MF  JPN Nathael Ishii 23 MF  FIN Matias Lindfors 25 GK  FIN Matias Niemelä 26 DF  FIN Matias Paavola 29 FW  ESP Mika 30 FW  AUS Alen Harbas (on loan from Sydney FC II) 32 MF  FIN David Ramadingaye 34 DF  FIN Nikolas Talo

On loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 44 DF  FIN Eelis Silvo (at Peli-Karhut until 31 December 2023) — GK  UKR Maksym Zhuk (at KäPa until 31 December 2023) — MF  FIN Niklas Leinonen (at MP until 31 December 2023)

No. Pos. Nation Player — FW  NGA Adeleke Oluwatobi Babatunde (at MP until 31 December 2023) — FW  FIN Aapo Hyppönen (at HIFK until 31 December 2023) — FW  FIN Santeri Stenius (at MP until 31 December 2023)

References

External links

• KTP Official Website
• Finnish Wikipedia
• Suomen Cup (archived 4 January 2009)
• KTP Fans Forum