1996 Veikkausliiga
The First Division in 1996 was the seventh season of the First Division, the highest Finnish league for football the men.
The league began with twelve teams and thus with two wenigern than before. Since the First Division in 1997 should start with ten teams, increased in 1996, the last three teams directly from, the fourth last team had to face in the relegation.
1996 Main Round was held in which each team had to compete twice against the other teams. The top six teams in the main round qualified for the championship round, where the teams competed against each other once again in each case. The points and results from the main round were incorporated to this rating. The teams that found themselves in the stands seven to twelve, took part in the relegation round in which five other games were to contest as well and the results were to be added to the points from the main round.
The main round was very exciting and after 22 match days were between the main round champion FF Jaro from Jakobstad and the Sixth Myllykosken Pallo -47 just four points. After five games in the championship round of the main round runner-up FC Jazz Pori won the title for themselves. FF Jaro even slipped yet to fifth place from while has improved from sixth to second place MYLLYKOSKI.
The relegation round, however, brought little change: Ilves Tampere, defending champion FC Haka and MP Mikkeli stayed on the last three ranks. RoPS Rovaniemi was able to advance by one rank and relegating HJK Helsinki of the relegation place. HJK then sat down in the relegation narrowly defeated by HIK Hanko.
The Finnish Cup went to the HJK Helsinki, the TPS Turku on 3 November in the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in front of 3632 spectators with 4:3 (0:0, 0:0) on penalties proposed.
The Finnish League Cup was also won by HJK Helsinki. In the Helsinki Olympic Stadium the capital club RoPS Rovaniemi defeated 3-2.
Final Table of the Main Round
Championship round
Relegation round
Expulsion
- HIK Hanko - HJK Helsinki 0-1
- HJK Helsinki - HIK Hanko 1:1
HJK Helsinki thus remained in the first division. TP -Seinäjoki rose to directly.
Top scorers
International performance in 1996/97
During the First Division season 1996 five Finnish teams at international competitions were in use, which had qualified after the First Division season in 1995 for:
- Champions FC Haka ( UEFA Cup 1996/97) Preliminary round: 2:2 and 1:0 against FC Flora Tallinn Estonia
- Qualifik: 0:3 and 1:1 against Poland Legia Warsaw
- Third HJK Helsinki ( UEFA Cup 1996/97) Preliminary round: 1:3 and 5:2 N.V. against Armenia Yerevan FC Pjunik
- Qualifik: 2:2 and 0:2 against Chernomorets Odessa Ukraine
- Fourth FC Jazz Pori ( UEFA Cup 1996/97) Round: 3-1 and 1-0 against Faroe GÍ Gøta
- Qualifik: 1:1 and 1:3 against Russia Dynamo Moscow
- Fifth FF Jaro Jakobstad ( UEFA Intertoto Cup 1996 ) Group stage: 3rd out of 5 teams (Group 12)
- Cup Winners Myllykosken Pallo -47 ( Europe Cup Winners' Cup 1996/97) Qualifik: 1:0 and 1:1 N.V. against Azerbaijan FK Qarabağ Aghdam
- Round 1: 0:1 and 1:3 against England Liverpool
International performance in 1997/98
Four teams qualified according to the 1996 First Division season for international competitions in the 1997/98 season:
- Champions FC Jazz Pori ( UEFA Champions League 1997 /98) 1 QR: 1-0 and 2-0 against FC Lantana Tallinn Estonia
- 2nd QF: 2:6 and 1:2 against Netherlands Feyenoord Rotterdam
- Runner Myllykosken Pallo -47 ( UEFA Cup 1997/98) QR 1: 1:1 and 0:3 against Cyprus Republic Apollon Limassol
- Third TPS Turku ( UEFA Intertoto Cup 1997) Group stage: 4th out of 5 teams (Group 8)
- Cup Winners HJK Helsinki ( European Cup Winners' Cup 1997/98) Qualifik: 1:0 and 0:3 against Yugoslavia Federal Republic 1992 NK Zagreb