Inter Turku have been crowned Veikkausliiga champions after a dramatic final day of the Finnish football season saw the Turku club secure their second league title in a tense finish on Sunday evening.
The championship went down to the final round, with Inter Turku level on points with defending contenders HJK but trailing on goal difference. Inter therefore needed a victory away against KuPS in Kuopio and a favourable result in Helsinki, where HJK hosted AC Oulu.
The challenge was significant. Inter had won the Finnish top-flight title only once before, in 2008, while HJK entered the final day with a record 33 league championships. The Helsinki club had also enjoyed an unbeaten run in the final series, recording six wins and four draws, making them favourites to retain the trophy.
However, AC Oulu quickly changed the picture at Töölö Stadium. The visitors took control of their match against HJK, scoring twice within the opening 25 minutes and putting Inter in a strong position to challenge for the championship.
In Kuopio, Inter made the most of the opportunity. Alie Conteh opened the scoring with a header against KuPS, giving the visitors a crucial 1-0 lead. The developments in both matches meant that the title race was beginning to swing in Inter’s favour.
HJK faced another setback when their goalkeeper, Miguel Santos, was forced off following a serious collision. Sixteen-year-old Tobias Backman came on as his replacement, adding another unexpected moment to an already eventful afternoon in Helsinki.
Both matches reached half-time with Inter leading KuPS 1-0 and AC Oulu ahead of HJK 2-0. Shortly after the restart, Jasse Tuominen extended Inter’s advantage to 2-0, bringing the Turku club closer to securing the championship.
But the contest in Helsinki was far from over. HJK’s leading scorer, Mads Borchers, struck twice within two minutes in the 76th minute to bring his side level with AC Oulu. With the score at 2-2, HJK were back in contention and needed another goal to move ahead of Inter in the title race.
The pressure increased when Oulu midfielder Matias Ojala received a straight red card with 10 minutes remaining, leaving the visitors with 10 players. HJK appeared to have the advantage, but Oulu refused to give up.
In the 83rd minute, Rasmus Karjalainen produced a crucial goal to put AC Oulu back in front. HJK responded three minutes later, equalising to make it 3-3. The result left the Helsinki club needing one more goal to overtake Inter in the standings.
By this point, the final whistle had already sounded in Kuopio. Inter’s players and coaching staff gathered around a pitchside monitor, watching the closing moments of the match in Helsinki and waiting to discover whether their victory would be enough.
AC Oulu held on through the remaining minutes, denying HJK the goal they needed. The draw meant Inter Turku finished the season as Veikkausliiga champions, ending an 18-year wait for another Finnish league title.
Celebrations quickly broke out in Kuopio, where Inter’s players joined their supporters in the stands to mark a championship victory that had depended not only on their own performance but also on AC Oulu’s resistance in Helsinki.
For Inter Turku, the result brings the club its second Finnish top-flight championship after the 2008 triumph. It also ends HJK’s hopes of adding another title to their record collection, following one of the most dramatic finishes to a Veikkausliiga season.
