# PK-35 (men)

PK-35 (originally Pallokerho-35) is a Finnish men's professional football club, based in Helsinki. It currently competes in the Ykkösliiga, the second-tier of men's football league in Finland. The club is based at the Algeco Areena in the Pihlajamäki district of Helsinki, and its colours are red, black and white. The club has played mostly in the lower divisions during its history, except for the lone season in top-tier Veikkausliiga in 1998.

## History

PK-35 was founded in Vyborg as Viipurin Pallokerho in 1935. After the Finnish Winter War and Second World War, the club was refounded as Pallokerho-35 by the Karelian refugees in Helsinki in 1948. The name Viipuri (Vyborg) was dropped off from the name due to Soviet pressure per which it was not tolerated to use the names of places of the occupied Karelian territory. In the 1950's, the club operated mostly in the Kallio neighbourhood of Helsinki, from which it expanded to Pakila and other newly built areas in Northern Helsinki. In 1966, PK-35 settled in the Pihlajamäki area. The club played mostly in the lower divisions in the Finnish football league system until 1990s.
The mid-1990s were successful years for PK-35, when the club was coached by Pasi Rautiainen. They won promotions from fourth-tier Kolmonen in 1994 all the way to the Finland's top division, Veikkausliiga for the 1998 Veikkausliiga season. The club also acquired former Finnish national team players such as Petri Helin and Kimmo Tarkkio. PK finished 3rd in the league, and made it to the 1998 Finnish Cup final, but at the end of the season after some economic troubles, the club's top representative team was acquired by Hjallis Harkimo and it was renamed FC Jokerit. The PK-35 club, however, continued with the other teams in lower divisions using its original name. PK-35 was promoted to Kakkonen in 2001 and to Ykkönen in 2005.

### PK-35 Vantaa: 2008–2016

In 2008, the club's men's and women's first teams detached from the organisation and relocated to Myyrmäki, Vantaa and gained the club's league license and continued playing in the second-tier Ykkönen under the name PK-35 Vantaa.

### Helsinki

PK-35 stayed in Helsinki with their youth sector and reserve team playing in fourth-tier Kolmonen. The reserve and academy team merged with Vantaan Jalkapalloseura (VJS) and were promoted to the third-tier Kakkonen for the 2012 season.
For the 2015 Kolmonen season, PK-35 and VJS separated and PK continued playing in Pihlajamäki, Helsinki. After the PK-35 Vantaa were declared for bankruptcy at the end of 2016, Helsinki-based PK-35 continued as the club's only representative team, competing in Kolmonen, the fourth tier at the time.
In the 2018 season, the team was coached by Jarkko Siikava, Tuomo Berg and Kim Raimi. For the 2019 season, the club acquired Esa Terävä and he was named the team captain. At the end of the season, PK-35 won a promotion to third-tier Kakkonen for the 2020 season. Next season, the club went on to finish 1st in Kakkonen Group A, and were promoted to then second tier Ykkönen. Former player and current assistant coach Kim Raimi was named the club's new manager, starting in 2021. After two seasons in Ykkönen, PK-35 were relegated back to Kakkonen at the end of the 2022 season.
In the 2023 Kakkonen season, PK-35 finished in the 2nd place of Group A. After the dissolvements of FC Honka and HIFK, and the creation of the new second-tier Ykkösliiga, the club were granted a spot to 2024 Ykkösliiga, via promotion-playoffs. However, in the early June 2024, head coach Kim Raimi was dismissed after ten league matches due to relatively poor results. Prior to his departure, PK had a record of two wins, four draws and four losses. A former EPS and Atlantis head coach Tiago Santos was appointed as his replacement.
In late November 2024, it was announced that PK would move to Mustapekka Areena in Oulunkylä neighbourhood for the 2025 season, as their home stadium Algeco Areena does not meet the requirements for the league license anymore. Two points will be also deducted from the club as they failed to improve the stadium conditions in time.

## Honours

* Veikkausliiga
** 3rd place: 1998
* Finnish Cup
** Runners-up: 1998
* Kakkonen (third tier)
** Champions: 2020
** Runners-up: 2023
* Kolmonen (fourth tier)
** Champions: 2019
** Runners-up: 2018

## Season to season

| Season | Level | Division | Section | Administration | Position | Finnish Cup | Movements |
| 1993 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Helsinki & Uusimaa II | Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki) | | | |
| 1994 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Helsinki & Uusimaa II | Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki) | | | Promoted |
| 1995 | Tier 3 | Kakkonen | | Finnish FA | | | |
| 1996 | Tier 3 | Kakkonen | | Finnish FA | | | Promoted |
| 1997 | Tier 2 | Ykkönen | | Finnish FA | | | Promoted |
| 1998 | Tier 1 | Veikkausliiga (Premier League) | | Finnish FA | 3rd | Runner-up | The first team was sold and renamed FC Jokerit for the 1999. |
| 1999 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Helsinki & Uusimaa II | Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki) | | | |
| 2000 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Helsinki & Uusimaa II | Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki) | | | Promoted |
| 2001 | Tier 3 | Kakkonen | | Finnish FA | | | |
| 2002 | Tier 3 | Kakkonen | | Finnish FA | | | |
| 2003 | Tier 3 | Kakkonen | | Finnish FA | | | |
| 2004 | Tier 3 | Kakkonen | | Finnish FA | | | Promoted |
| 2005 | Tier 2 | Ykkönen | | Finnish FA | | | |
| 2006 | Tier 2 | Ykkönen | | Finnish FA | | | |
| 2007 | Tier 2 | Ykkönen | | Finnish FA | | | |
| 2008 | Tier 2 | Ykkönen | | Finnish FA | | | PK-35 Vantaa gained the league license for 2009 Ykkönen. |
| 2009 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Helsinki & Uusimaa II | Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki) | | | |
| 2010 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Helsinki & Uusimaa II | Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki) | | | |
| 2011 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Helsinki & Uusimaa II | Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki) | | | |
| 2012 | Tier 3 | Kakkonen | | Finnish FA | | | |
| 2013 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Helsinki & Uusimaa II | Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki) | | | |
| 2014 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Helsinki & Uusimaa II | Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki) | | | |
| 2015 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Helsinki & Uusimaa II | Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki) | | | |
| 2016 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Helsinki & Uusimaa II | Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki) | 8th | | |
| 2017 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Helsinki & Uusimaa II | Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki) | 3rd | | |
| 2018 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Helsinki & Uusimaa I | Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki) | 2nd | | |
| 2019 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Helsinki & Uusimaa II | Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki) | 1st | | Promoted |
| 2020 | Tier 3 | Kakkonen | Group A | Finnish FA | 1st | | Promoted |
| 2021 | Tier 2 | Ykkönen | | Finnish FA | 8th | Quarter-finals | |
| 2022 | Tier 2 | Ykkönen | | Finnish FA | 10th | Quarter-finals | Relegated |
| 2023 | Tier 3 | Kakkonen | Group A | Finnish FA | 2nd | Third round | Promotion play-offs – Promoted |
| 2024 | Tier 2 | Ykkösliiga | | Finnish FA | 6th | Sixth round | |

## Players and personnel

Updated 3 August 2024

### Current squad

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 | Joni Niemi |
| 3 | DF | FIN | Joonas Sundman |
| 5 | MF | FIN | Xhevdet Gela |
| 6 | DF | NGA | Frankline Okoye |
| 8 | FW | FIN | Yassin Adam |
| 9 | FW | FIN | Eero Markkanen |
| 10 | FW | GAM | Mustafa Beyai |
| 13 | MF | FIN | Rafael Lehtonen |
| 15 | MF | DEN | Mustapha Coker |
| 16 | MF | BRA | João Costa |
| 19 | DF | JPN | Shunta Uchiyama |
| 20 | DF | JPN | Juta Nakanishi |
| 21 | FW | FIN | Karo Räsänen |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 22 | DF | FIN | Liam Lokake |
| 23 | MF | FIN | Samba Sillah |
| 24 | MF | SOM | Ayuub Abdi |
| 25 | GK | FIN | Ville Viljala |
| 29 | FW | FIN | Mohamed Lassoued |
| 30 | GK | FIN | Anwar Abdi |
| 34 | DF | FIN | Tuukka Andberg |
| 88 | MF | FIN | Jasper Pikkuhookana |
| — | MF | FIN | Emil Pallas |
| — | DF | FIN | Kasper Viramäki |
| — | MF | FIN | Eino-Iivari Pitkälä |
| — | MF | FIN | Maximo Tolonen |
| — | MF | NGA | Umar Bala Mohammed |

### Players on loan

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 |

### Coaches and staff

| Name | Role |
| Tiago Santos | Head coach |
| Diogo Pinto | Assistant coach |
| Luca Fleres | Fitness coach |
| Jussi Jääskeläinen | Goalkeeping coach |
| Felix Hauernherm | Physiotherapist |
| Jarkko Siikava | Director of football |

## Notable former players

* Jasin-Amin Assehnoun
* Petri Helin
* Robert Ivanov
* Joel Pohjanpalo
* Juho Rantala
* Rami Rantanen
* Pasi Rautiainen
* Pekka Sihvola
* Kimmo Tarkkio
* Sauli Väisänen
* Moshtagh Yaghoubi
* Oskari Kekkonen