Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat
Finnish football club

Football club
Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat
Full nameKotkan Työväen Palloilijat
NicknamesKTP
Ahtaajat (“The Longshoremen”)
Founded22 September 1927
GroundArto Tolsa Areena, Kotka
Capacity4,780
ChairmanJukka Mustonen
ManagerJonas Nyholm
LeagueYkkösliiga
2025Veikkausliiga, 11th of 12 (relegated via play-offs)
Websitewww.fcktp.fi

Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat (abbreviated as KTP) is a Finnish professional football club based in Kotka, currently competing in Finland's top-tier, the 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 plays its home matches at the 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
Against Ilves at home in 2014

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

Arto Tolsa Areena in 2015

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

Teemu Pukki started playing football with his hometown club KTP.
Honour Number Years
Veikkausliiga
Champions 2 1951, 1952
Third place 2 1947, 1964
Ykkösliiga
Champions 1 2024
Ykkönen
Champions 1 2022
Runners-up 6 1978, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014, 2020
Kakkonen
Champions 2 1977, 1993
Runners-up 1 1975
Third place 3 1974, 1976, 1991
Kolmonen
Champions 3 2005, 2007, 2010
Third place 3 2002, 2004, 2006
Finnish Cup
Champions 4 1958, 1961, 1967, 1980
Runners-up 3 1965, 1966, 2000
Finnish League Cup
Runners-up 1 1999

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 France 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 31 August 2025[1]

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
1 GK  FIN Jiri Koski
4 DF  FIN Joona Toivio
6 MF  NGA Nathaniel Tahmbi
7 MF  FIN Joni Mäkelä
8 MF  FIN Joni Kauko
9 FW  FIN Aleksi Tarvonen
10 MF  FIN Petteri Forsell
11 FW  FIN Thomas Lahdensuo
14 DF  FIN Juho Lehtiranta
15 MF  USA Constantine Edlund (on loan from Athens Kallithea)
16 GK  MLI Madou Diakité (on loan from Triestina)
18 FW  SEN Assan Seck
19 FW  AUS Mitchell Glasson (on loan from Sydney FC)
No. Pos. Nation Player
21 DF  FIN Mikko Sumusalo
24 MF  FIN Aaro Toivonen
26 DF  FIN Matias Paavola
27 MF  FIN Arttu Tulehmo (on loan from Ilves)
28 FW  BRA Lucas Rangel
29 FW  FIN Aapo Ruohio
30 DF  FIN Luka Puhakainen
31 GK  SWE Oscar Linnér
34 DF  SWE Albin Linnér
37 MF  JPN Atomu Tanaka
42 MF  FIN Felipe Aspegren (on loan from Ilves)
44 DF  NGA Joshua Akpudje
77 FW  FIN Luca Weckström

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.

No. Pos. Nation Player
33 GK  UKR Maksym Zhuk (at SalPa until 31 December 2025)
No. Pos. Nation Player

Management and boardroom

Management

As of 18 July 2025[2]
Name Role
Finland Jonas Nyholm Head coach
Finland Ossi Virta Assistant coach
Finland Mikko Viitsalo Assistant coach
Finland Matias Lindfors Assistant coach
Finland Anton Bogdanov Goalkeeping coach
Finland Johannes Laaksonen Fitness coach
Finland Esa Vilkki Team manager
Finland Aki Jokela Team manager
Finland Toni Leinonen Kit Manager
Finland Otto Olkkonen Physiotherapist

Boardroom

As of 18 February 2025[3]
Name Role
Finland Jukka Mustonen Chairman
Finland Jan Walden CEO
Finland Jukka Vilkki Club secretary
Finland Niko Ikävalko Sporting director

First team managers since 1980

  • Finland Kalervo Paananen (1980–82)
  • Poland Stanislav Sobczynski (1983)
  • Finland Jouko Alila (1984–88)
  • Poland Czesław Boguszewicz (1989–91)
  • Finland Pekka Ihonen (1992)
  • Finland Heikki Immonen (1993–94)
  • Finland Markku Wacklin (1995–96)
  • Finland Olli-Pekka Smal (1997–98)
  • Finland Hannu Touru (1999–2000)
  • Finland Jouko Alila (2000)
  • Finland Risto Inkeroinen (2001)
  • Finland Vesa Laurikainen (2003–04)
  • Finland Jouko Alila (2005–06)
  • Finland Jouko Alila (2008)
  • Finland Marko Honkanen (2009)
  • Finland Tommi Keveri (2010)

References

  1. ^ "Miehet 2025". KTP (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 24 June 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  2. ^ Valmentajat & joukkueen taustahenkilöt, fcktp.fi
  3. ^ YHTEYSTIEDOT, fcktp.fi
  • Official website
  • Finnish Wikipedia
  • Suomen Cup (archived 4 January 2009)
  • KTP Fans Forum
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