- Mikkelin Kissat
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Mikkelin Kissat 
Full name Mikkelin Kissat Founded 1981 Ground Mikkelin Urheilupuisto, Mikkeli, Finland
(Capacity: 7,000)Chairman 
Kimmo AholainenManager Tommi SariolaLeague Kolmonen 
Home coloursAway coloursMikkelin Kissat (abbreviated MiKi) is a football club from Mikkeli, Finland. Its home ground is at the Mikkelin Urheilupuisto.
Contents
Background
The club was formed in 1981 but was not formally registered until 1983. They started in V divisioona, the fifth division in 1984 and rapid progress followed with the club soon gaining promotion to II divisioona, the second division, in 1986. They lasted there only two years as relegation ensued in 1988. Once again Kissat was promoted to II divisioona in 1993 and finally cemented their place there, reaching even the promotion battle of the division quite soon. An especially memorable year was 1995, when Kissat almost achieved an entire season without losses. They also won the "Pikkufinaali", a final for the two best lower league teams in the Finnish Cup (Suomen Cup) in 1994.
Even with MiKi finding success in the second division (now called Kakkonen) as the millennium neared its end, the perennial local rivals MP were in financial problems after being relegated to Ykkönen, the Finnish first division. In 1999, the two clubs deciced to share their resources and players and merged to form mutual first team and a under 21's team called FC Mikkeli, as well as a reserve team called Mikkelin Pallo (MiPa) which played a division below in Kakkonen. The fusion lasted only for three years without much success, as in 2001 FC Mikkeli was relegated to Kakkonen and the club was disbanded. Both MiKi and MP returned to first-team football by taking FC Mikkeli's and MiPa's places in Kakkonen. Since then Kissat has played in Kakkonen in 2002, 2004–2005 and 2007, and the rest of the seasons in Kolmonen.
MiKi's short history is also inextricably linked to that of Mikkelin Pallo-Kissat (MiPK) which was formed in 1946, with roots of the club leading even to the very early 1900s. Pallo-Kissat were quite successful in their day as they played in the top level of Finnish football, back then called Mestaruussarja, over the years 1962-1964, 1971 and 1974-1979. In 1962, 1974 and 1975 they reached the fourth place of the league, the most highest position in top level football in the club's history. But towards the 1980s, the club began experiencing severe economic distress and finally after being relegated to the second division in 1984, were declared bankrupt. Players transferred to the newly established MiKi which provided a sound foundation for the new club's future.
Mikkelin Kissat run a very active youth section with teams up to under 18's, and hold the popular youth tournament Mikkeli Turnaus each year. English Premiership players Jussi Jääskeläinen and Shefki Kuqi are both products of the MiKi youth setup.
Season to season
Season Level Division Section Administration Position Movements 2002 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) East Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 11th Relegated 2003 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) South-East Finland (SPL Kaakkois-Suomi) 1st Playoff Group C - 1st - Promoted 2004 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) East Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 9th 2005 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) East Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 12th Relegated 2006 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) South-East Finland (SPL Kaakkois-Suomi) 1st Playoff Group C - 2nd - Promoted 2007 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) Group A Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 14th Relegated 2008 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) South-East Finland (SPL Kaakkois-Suomi) 5th 2009 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) South-East Finland (SPL Kaakkois-Suomi) 2nd 2010 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) South-East Finland (SPL Kaakkois-Suomi) 3rd 2011 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) South-East Finland (SPL Kaakkois-Suomi) 5th Notable former players
2011 season
MiKi Men's Team are competing in the Kolmonen administered by the Kaakkois-Suomi SPL. This is the fourth highest tier in the Finnish football system. MiKi started the Kolmonen season by drawing 1-1 against both the Sudet reserve team and IPS. They got their first win against Kultsu FC 3-1 and carried on to beat HaPK 1-2 and FC PaSa 2-0, but on June 2 the winning streak came to a quick end as Kissat conceded a 1-0 shock defeat against minnows KoRe. The season continued with disappoitments as PEPO beat MiKi 1-2 after a late game-winning goal on penalty time and local rivals SavU humiliated Kissat in the Mikkeli derby with a 2-1 victory. After the derby defeat head coach Risto Lähde resigned and the team captain Tommi Sariola was appointed as caretaker player-manager.
MiKi started well under new rule as they won 3-1 against PaPe and finally broke their three-game losing streak. After that they drew 1-1 against STPS in a provincial derby match where Jerry Särkkä tied the game with a late penalty kick goal. Kissat concluded the first part of the season with a comfortable 0-3 win against Jäntevä and left for the two-week summer break on fourth place of the league, with 18 points and a goal difference of 18-11. Their best scorer at the break was Timo Mattila with four goals to his name.
On July 20 it was announced that caretaker player-manager Tommi Sariola would be the head coach of the team until the end of the season, while still operating as an active player on the field as well (though a serious knee injury, suffered in the Jäntevä game, kept Sariola off the field for the rest of the season). Sariola's tenure as the boss continued without losses as Kissat started the autumn-part of the season with a 2-0 victory against the Sudet reserves. Next Sariola's team started to show some real form as they made high-flying IPS suffer their first defeat in two months with a narrow 0-1 win and beat PaPe 1-4 after rising to victory from a substandard first half performance and home team's 1-0 lead.
But once again Kissat stumbled against an opponent that they should have won, as HaPK beat MiKi 0-1 after a lucky late goal on August 6. Three red cards were also shown in the game's last five minutes, with both Miikka Seppälä and Tommi Lifländer being sent off from MiKi. The losing streak continued as, with a depleted roster, Kissat lost 2-1 against Kultsu FC and 0-2 against KoRe. Seppälä was once again dismissed in the latter game. Finally, with injury-ridden Teemu Kokko and Riiko Lappalainen returning to the team after last season and goalkeeper Saku Romppainen coming out of retirement to help as well, Kissat turned the tide and beat FC PaSa 1-3 on August 27.
The momentum from the PaSa win carried the team to beat SavU 1-0 in a thrilling derby game on August 31. That was also Jerry Särkkä's last game with Kissat as he was transferred to MP at the very last minutes of the transfer window. Moving on to September, MiKi suffered a heavy 6-2 defeat against league leaders PEPO and lost 4-1 to STPS as well. Finally, Kissat also lost the final game of the season against Jäntevä 0-2 on Septemper 24. That meant that Kissat was placed 5th in the division, which can be concluded as a huge disappoitment for the club. The best goal scorer of the season for MiKi was Timo Mattila with nine goals in total.
The club also participated in the Finnish Cup for the first time in years. In the first round of the 2011 Cup they played against LIK from Liljendal and won 0-9 and in the second round MiKi beat PeKa from Kotka 0-2. Both opponents were from lower leagues but in the third round MiKi faced a fellow Kolmonen side, PK Keski-Uusimaa from Kerava. The game ended 0-0 after regular time but MiKi lost on penalties 2-4 and thus was knocked out of the Cup.
Players in 2011
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
No. Position Player 1 GK Juho Piispanen 2 DF Antti Pöyry 3 DF Sami Siitari 4 DF Lauri Kosunen 5 DF Mikko Meriläinen 6 MF Tomi Ukkonen 7 MF Timo Sariola 8 DF Erkka Korhonen 9 FW Riiko Lappalainen 11 FW Eetu Paasonen 12 GK Saku Romppainen 13 FW Tommi Sariola 14 MF Tommi Lifländer No. Position Player 15 FW Jesse Paasonen 16 MF Sami Kariniitty 17 DF Teemu Kokko 18 MF Juhana Hämäläinen 19 DF Miikka Seppälä 20 FW Timo Mattila 22 MF Ville Teräsranta 23 
DF Midhad Alic 24 MF Ville Peltonen 27 MF Vili Korhonen MF Jonne Ikonen GK Pirkka Multaharju FW Ville Paavilainen References and sources
Categories:- Finnish football clubs
- Mikkeli
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