RoPS
Squad
- Zakaria Abahassine2011current
Aleksandr Kokko2012current
Antti Okkonen2013current
Jamal Gay2014current
Janne Saksela2014current
Patrick Bantamoi2014current
Abdou Jammeh2015current
Juha Pirinen2015current
Michal Mravec2016current- Fugo Segawacurrent
Juho Hyvärinencurrent- Kari Virtanencurrent
- Lassi Lappalainencurrent
- Miska Ylitolvacurrent
- Pasi Tauriainencurrent
- Pyry Hannolacurrent
- Martti Kuusela1963–1964
- Juha Helin1982–1985
Brian Greenhoff1983–1983- Malcolm Dunkley1988–1988
- Jari Europaeus1989–1989
- Kimmo Tauriainen1989–1992
- Malcolm Dunkley1989–1990
- Anders Eriksson1991–1992
Keith Armstrong1991–1992- Stewart Beards1991–1992
- Vasili Karatayev1991–1993
- Aarno Turpeinen1993–1994
- Anton Shokh1993–1993
- David Wilson1993–1993
- John Allen1993–1994
- Zeddy Saileti1994–2009
- Jari Ilola1995–1997
- Matti Hiukka1995–1995
- Aleksei Zhukov1996–1996
- Mika Kottila1996–1996
- Ilkka Mäkelä1997–1999
- Ismo Lius1997–1997
- Mordon Malitoli1997–2001
- John Allen1998–1998
- Tuomo Könönen1998–2001
- Matti Hiukka2004–2004
Ville Wallén2004–2004- César Pellegrín2005–2005
Jani Viander2005–2005
Jarkko Hurme2005–2005- Jarkko Hurme2005–2006
- Raphael Edereho2005–2005
- Matti Hiukka2006–2006
- Mika Nurmela2006–2006
- Mika Nurmela2006–2007
- Nchimunya Mweetwa2007–2010
- Aleksandr Kulik2008–2008
Daniel Bauer2008–2008- Mika Nurmela2008–2008
- Mykola Pavlenko2008–2008
- Titi Essomba2008–2008
- Christian Gyan2010–2010
Jukka Santala2010–2010
Eetu Muinonen2011–2012
Henrik Ojamaa2011–2011
José Manuel Rivera2011–2012- Keijo Huusko2011–2011
- Tuomo Könönen2011–2014
Ebrima Sohna2012–2012
Mbachu Uchenna Emenike2012–2014
Miracle Friday Akpadiaha2012–2015
Ndukaku Alison2012–2014
Víctor Turcios2012–2013
Ataullah Guerra2013–2013
Nicholas Otaru2013–2014
Niklas Tarvajärvi2013–2013
Tomi Maanoja2013–2013- Trayon Bobb2013–2013
Jani Tapani Virtanen2014–2014
Petteri Pennanen2014–2014- Sainey Nyassi2014–2014
Saku-Pekka Sahlgren2014–2014
Eero Markkanen2015–2015
Moshtagh Yaghoubi2015–2015
Tomer Chencinski2015–2015- Tremaine Stewart2015–2015
- Vilim Posinković2015–2015
Will John2015–2015- Eetu Muinonen2016–2016
- Timo Stavitski2017–2018
Vahid Hambo2018–2018- Jagoba Beobide2019–2019
Sergio Llamas2019–2020- Timo Stavitski2019–2019
RoPS is a Finnish association football club based in Rovaniemi, Finland.
Founded in 1950, RoPS has a long-standing history in Finnish football, playing in the Veikkausliiga for 32 years until 2021.
The club has won the Finnish Cup twice, in 1986 and 2013.
Biography
Formation and Early Years
Rovaniemen Palloseura, commonly known as RoPS, is a Finnish football club founded in 1950 and based in Rovaniemi, Finland. The club has a rich history in Finnish football, having played in the top tier, the Veikkausliiga, for an impressive 32 years from 1981 until 2021. RoPS has made its mark in Finnish football not only through its longevity in the premier division but also by achieving notable successes in domestic cup competitions.
Achievements and Challenges
RoPS has won the Finnish Cup twice, first in 1986 and again in 2013, and they were runners-up in 1962. The club also had a strong showing in the Finnish Premier Division, finishing third in 1988 and 1989, and narrowly missing the title in 2015, where they ended as runners-up by just one point. Internationally, RoPS reached the quarter-finals of the European Cup-Winners' Cup in the 1987-88 season, facing off against the renowned French club Marseille.
However, the club's reputation faced significant challenges in the 2000s due to allegations of match-fixing. A major investigation by the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation in 2011 revealed that over 30 games had been manipulated, leading to convictions of several players and a notorious match-fixer. This scandal cast a shadow over the club's achievements and led to a tumultuous period in its history.
Recent Developments
In 2021, RoPS made the decision to withdraw from professional football, voluntarily relegating to the amateur Kakkonen division. This marked a significant shift in the club's trajectory, as they now play their home games at the Rovaniemen Keskuskenttä, located in the Arctic Circle of Lapland. Despite the challenges faced, RoPS remains a significant part of Finnish football history, with a legacy of both triumphs and trials.
Collected from open sources (2) · facts link to sources · AI-processed
Career & Clubs
RoPS have won the Finnish Cup on two occasions, in 1986 and 2013, and were runners-up in 1962. They placed third in the Finnish Premier Division in 1988 and 1989, before finishing as runner-up in 2015, losing out on the title by 1 point to eventual champions SJK. The club's most notable international achievement was reaching the quarter-finals of the European Cup-Winners' Cup in 1987–88 against Marseille.
Match fixing allegations and scandal
Throughout the 2000s, RoPS became infamous for suspected involvement in match fixing. In spring 2011 the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation started a large investigation into match fixing. On February 25 Singaporean businessman Wilson Raj Perumal, a convicted match fixer, was arrested after entering Finland with a fake passport. The National Bureau of Investigation suspected that over 30 games between 2008 and 2011, mostly from the Finnish premier league, had been fixed or manipulated. On July 19, 2011, the Rovaniemi Court of Appeal convicted Perumal and nine RoPS players of match-fixing. Altogether 24 games had been manipulated, and the intended score had been achieved in 11 of them. Perumal was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to return 150,000 euros deemed to be match-fixing profits. The bribes ranged from 500 euros offered to one player to a total of 80,000 euros offered to eight players. The highest total of bribes for one individual was slightly over 40,000 euros. The players received suspended…
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- Veikkausliiga
- League
- Ykkösliiga
Legacy
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Rovaniemen Palloseura (RoPS) is a football club founded in 1950 and based in Rovaniemi, Finland. RoPS played in the Finnish Premier Division, (Veikkausliiga) for 32 years, from 1981 to 2021. In 2021, RoPS withdrew from professional football and voluntarily relegated to the amateur Kakkonen division. The club plays home games at the Rovaniemen Keskuskenttä in the Arctic Circle of Lapland.
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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