The 2003 season was the 73rd completed season of Finnish Football League Championship, known as the

Veikkausliiga Veikkausliiga (; sv, Tipsligan) is the premier division of Finnish football, the highest tier of the Finnish football league structure, comprising the top 12 clubs of the country. Its main sponsor is the Finnish national betting agency Veikkau ...

. At the same time it was the 14th season of the Veikkausliiga.

Overview

The Veikkausliiga is administered by the

Finnish Football Association The Football Association of Finland ( fi, Suomen Palloliitto, abbr. SPL; sv, Finlands Bollförbund) is the governing body of football in Finland. It was founded in Helsinki on 19 May 1907. The SPL organises the men's and women's national footba ...

and the competition's 2003 season was contested by 14 teams.

HJK Helsinki Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi (), commonly known as HJK Helsinki, or simply as HJK, is a professional football club based in Helsinki, Finland. The club competes in the Finnish Veikkausliiga. Founded in 1907, the club has spent most of its history ...

won the championship and qualified for the

2004–05 UEFA Champions League The 2004–05 UEFA Champions League was the 50th season of UEFA's premier European club association football, football tournament, and the 13th since it was rebranded as the UEFA Champions League in 1992. The competition was won by Liverpool F.C., ...

qualification round, while the second and sixth placed teams qualified for the first qualification round of the

2004–05 UEFA Cup The 2004–05 UEFA Cup was the 34th edition of the UEFA Cup. The format of the competition had changed from previous seasons, replacing that from the previous one after the abolition of the Cup Winners' Cup in 1999; an extra qualifying round was ...

. The third and fourth placed teams qualified for the

UEFA Intertoto Cup 2004 The 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup football finals (the summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions) were won by Lille, Schalke 04, and Villarreal. All three teams advanced to the ...

, while

FC KooTeePee FC KooTeePee was a Finnish football club. History Originally FC KooTeePee was founded as a reserve team of Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat (founded 1927). In the year 2000, it became an independent club. At that time Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat ...

and

KuPS Kuopio Kuopion Palloseura (or KuPS) is a Finnish football club, based in the ninth most populated city of Finland, Kuopio. KuPS plays in Finland's Premier League, Veikkausliiga. KuPS has won the Finnish championship six times, the Finnish Cup 4 times ...

were relegated to the

Ykkönen ''Ykkönen'' (Finnish for 'Number One'; sv, Ettan) is the second highest level of the Finnish football league system (after the Veikkausliiga), although it is the highest league managed by the Football Association of Finland. The teams also play ...

Participating clubs

In 2003 there were 14 participants in the Veikkausliiga: *

Allianssi Vantaa Allianssi Vantaa is a football club based in the city of Vantaa, Finland. It is not the same club as the former Finnish football club, AC Allianssi. Allianssi Vantaa was founded in 2006 and they currently play in the third division of Finnish f ...

FC Jazz Pori FC Jazz is a football club from Pori, Finland. It plays in the Finnish third tier Kakkonen. It was invented in 1934. FC Jazz has won two Finnish championships ( 1993 & 1996 ). History PPT 1934–1991 FC Jazz was established in 1934 as Po ...

* FC Hämeenlinna *

- Promoted from Ykkönen *

FC Lahti FC Lahti is a Finnish football club based in the city of Lahti. It currently plays in the Finnish Premier League (''Veikkausliiga'') after placing first in the Finnish First Division (''Ykkönen'') during season 2011. The homeground of FC Lah ...

Haka Valkeakoski FC Haka is a Finnish football club based in the industry town of Valkeakoski. It is currently competing in Finland's premier division of football, Veikkausliiga. It is one of the most successful clubs in Finland, with nine Finnish championships ...

Inter Turku Football Club International Turku, commonly referred to as Inter Turku and colloquially known as Inter, is a professional football club based in Turku, Finland, that competes in the Veikkausliiga, the top flight of Finnish Football. Founded in 1 ...

* Jaro Pietarsaari *

FC Jokerit FC Jokerit was a Finnish professional football club based in Helsinki, Finland. History It was founded in 1999. The club was known for its wild supporters, 116% Boys, and for its owner, Hjallis Harkimo who is also the owner of Jokerit, an ice ...

- Promoted from Ykkönen *

* MyPa 47 Anjalankoski *

Tampere United Tampere United is a Finnish football club from the city of Tampere. The club plays in Kakkonen, the third highest level of football in Finland. The club had a team in Veikkausliiga, the premier football league in Finland, until the end of the ...

* TPS Turku - Promoted from Ykkönen

League standings

Promotion/Relegation Playoff

*RoPS Rovaniemi - KooTeePee Kotka 4-1 *KooTeePee Kotka - RoPS Rovaniemi 3-2 RoPS Rovaniemi promoted, KooTeePee Kotka relegated.

Results

Leading scorers

Footnotes

References

Finland - List of final tables (RSSSF)
{{2003–04 in European Football (UEFA) Veikkausliiga seasons

Fin A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foils that produce lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while traveling in water, air, or other fluids. Fin ...