Salon Palloilijat

Salon Palloilijat (abbreviated SalPa) is a sports club from Salo in Finland. The club is popularly known as The Swans (Joutsenlauma in Finnish). SalPa was formed in 1956 and their home ground is at the Salon Urheilupuisto. The men's football first team currently plays in the new second-tier Ykkösliiga. The Chairman of SalPa is Toni Tammi.

SalPa

Full name	Salon Palloilijat
Nicknames	SalPa The Swans
Founded	1956
Ground	Salon Urheilupuisto, Salo Finland
Chairman	Vesa Valkonen
Head Coach	Jordi Aluja
League	Ykkönen
2025	Ykkösliiga, 10th of 10 (relegated)
Home colours Away colours

The club currently has sections covering football, floorball, figure skating and basketball.

Background

SalPa before a Finnish Cup match against Inter Turku in Salo Sports Park on 21 June 2023

Salon Palloilijat was established in 1956 and the club's first taste of success was in 1960 when the gained promotion to the Suomisarjaa (Finland League) which at that time was the second tier of Finnish football. Their success at this level was short-lived but just over forty years later in 2001 they played one season in the Ykkönen (First Division) which is the current second tier.^[1]

SalPa have had four periods covering 25 seasons in the Kakkonen (Second Division), the third tier of Finnish football from 1978 to 1979, 1982–90, 1996–2000 and 2002 to the current day.^[1]

The club's highest attendance is 2,984 spectators (SalPa-Futistähdet 21.6.1999). The largest attendance for a league match is 835 spectators (SalPa-AC Vantaa, 2001, Ykkönen – First Division).

SalPa have historically invested heavily in youth activities and continues to provide a thriving junior section.

After the 2022 Kakkonen season, SalPa won the promotion to the second tier Ykkönen.

Current squad

As of 1 September 2025^[2]

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 Joonas Koski 2 DF  FIN Sebastian Savini 3 DF  FIN Joonas Meura 4 DF  NGA Michael John 5 MF  FIN Otto Rautiainen 6 DF  FIN Miska Rautiola 7 MF  FIN Noah Kaijasilta 8 MF  KOS Albin Mehmeti 9 FW  FIN Otto Lehtisalo 10 FW  FIN Oskari Jakonen 11 FW  FIN Ermal Rrustemi 12 GK  FIN Luukas Rinta-Paavola 13 FW  CIV Alain Guei (on loan from Zulte Waregem) 14 MF  FIN Topias Helle 15 FW  CIV Abdoulaye Koné (on loan from AC Oulu)

No. Pos. Nation Player 16 FW  FIN Ami Kartilla 17 FW  BIH Amar Serdarević 18 DF  FIN Severi Pöysä 19 DF  GHA Eric Danso Boateng (on loan from KuPS) 20 MF  FIN Thabit Abdi 23 DF  FIN Reino Ruponen 24 MF  NGA Abdulhaqq Mohammed 25 MF  FIN Eemeli Mäkelä 26 DF  FIN Aaro Tiihonen 27 FW  FIN Miika Koski 28 MF  FIN Joshua Salonen 29 MF  GHA Thomas Agyiri 30 GK  FIN Antto Mikkonen 33 GK  UKR Maksym Zhuk (on loan from KTP) — DF  FIN Ali Abdel Kawy

Season to season

• 5 season in Suomensarja/Ykkönen/Ykkösliiga
• 50 seasons in Maakuntasarja/Kakkonen
• 14 seasons in Kolmonen/4. divisioona
• 1 seasons in 4. divisioona

Season	Level	Division	Section	Administration	Position	Movements
1956	Tier 3	Maakuntasarja (Regional League)	South Group I	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	5th
1957	Tier 3	Maakuntasarja (Regional League)	West Group I	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	7th
1958	Tier 3	Maakuntasarja (Regional League)	Group 3	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	4th
1959	Tier 3	Maakuntasarja (Regional League)	Group 3	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	1st	Promoted
1960	Tier 2	Suomensarja (Finland Series)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	11th	Relegated
1961	Tier 3	Maakuntasarja (Regional League)	Group 3	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	3rd
1962	Tier 3	Maakuntasarja (Regional League)	Group 2	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	6th
1963	Tier 3	Maakuntasarja (Regional League)	Group 2	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	3rd
1964	Tier 3	Maakuntasarja (Regional League)	Group 2	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	4th
1965	Tier 3	Maakuntasarja (Regional League)	Group 2	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	2nd
1966	Tier 3	Maakuntasarja (Regional League)	Group 3	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	4th
1967	Tier 3	Maakuntasarja (Regional League)	Group 2	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	4th
1968	Tier 3	Maakuntasarja (Regional League)	Group 3	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	7th
1969	Tier 3	Maakuntasarja (Regional League)	Group 2	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	9th	Relegated
1970	Tier 4	4. divisioona (Fourth Division)	Group 3	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	2nd
1971	Tier 4	4. divisioona (Fourth Division)	Group 2	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	4th
1972	Tier 4	4. divisioona (Fourth Division)	Group 4	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	3rd
1973	Tier 5	4. divisioona (Fourth Division)	Group 4	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	1st	Promoted
1974	Tier 4	3. divisioona (Third Division)	Group 2	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	3rd
1975	Tier 4	3. divisioona (Third Division)	Group 3	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	2nd
1976	Tier 4	3. divisioona (Third Division)	Group 3	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	2nd
1977	Tier 4	3. divisioona (Third Division)	Group 3	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	1st	Promoted
1978	Tier 3	2. divisioona (Second Division)	West Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	6th
1979	Tier 3	2. divisioona (Second Division)	West Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	9th	Relegation Playoff - Relegated
1980	Tier 4	3. divisioona (Third Division)	Group 2	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	3rd
1981	Tier 4	3. divisioona (Third Division)	Group 4	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	2nd	Promotion Playoff - Promoted
1982	Tier 3	2. divisioona (Second Division)	West Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	3rd
1983	Tier 3	2. divisioona (Second Division)	West Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	4th
1984	Tier 3	2. divisioona (Second Division)	West Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	7th
1985	Tier 3	2. divisioona (Second Division)	West Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	9th
1986	Tier 3	2. divisioona (Second Division)	West Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	6th
1987	Tier 3	2. divisioona (Second Division)	West Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	8th
1988	Tier 3	2. divisioona (Second Division)	West Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	4th
1989	Tier 3	2. divisioona (Second Division)	West Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	7th
1990	Tier 3	2. divisioona (Second Division)	West Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	11th	Relegated
1991	Tier 4	3. divisioona (Third Division)	Group 3	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	5th
1992	Tier 4	Kolmonen (Third Division)	Group 2	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	6th
1993	Tier 4	Kolmonen (Third Division)	Group 3	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	7th
1994	Tier 4	Kolmonen (Third Division)	Section 3	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	3rd
1995	Tier 4	Kolmonen (Third Division)	Section 3	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	1st	Promoted
1996	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	South Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	4th
1997	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	South Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	6th
1998	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	South Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	3rd
1999	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	West Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	5th
2000	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	West Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	1st	Promoted
2001	Tier 2	Ykkönen (First Division)	South Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	10th	Relegated
2002	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	West Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	2nd
2003	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	West Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	4th
2004	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	West Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	6th
2005	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	West Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	1st	Play-offs
2006	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	Group B	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	2nd
2007	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	Group B	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	5th
2008	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	Group B	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	7th
2009	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	Group B	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	7th
2010	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	Group B	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	2nd
2011	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	Group B	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	5th
2012	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	Southern	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	3rd
2013	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	Southern	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)
2014	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	Southern	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	6th
2015	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	Western	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	3rd
2016	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	Group B	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	7th
2017	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	Group B	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	3rd
2018	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	Group B	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	2nd
2019	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	Group B	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	5th
2020	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	Group B	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	9th
2021	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	Group B	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	6th
2022	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	Group B	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	1st (Champions)	Promoted
2023	Tier 2	Ykkönen (First Division)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	7th
2024	Tier 2	Ykkösliiga (First Division)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	8th
2025	Tier 2	Ykkösliiga (First Division)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	10th	Relegated

^[3]

Club structure

SalPa currently has 1 men's team, 1 ladies teams, 7 boys teams and 7 girls team. The club organises various activities for its young players including skill and ability schools, tournaments and futsal.

References and sources

• Official Website
• Men's First Team Website
• Salon Palloilijat Juniorit Website
• Suomen Cup
• Salon Palloilijat Facebook