Gnistan represents Oulunkylä in northern Helsinki and has developed a distinctive place in Finnish football. The club’s yellow, blue and black identity is closely associated with the local sports community, while Markku.fi Areena provides its home setting. This team page brings together the club’s present profile, recorded squad, coaching timeline, player movement and competition history. The picture is that of a Helsinki institution combining neighborhood roots with top-flight domestic football and a carefully balanced mix of established and emerging talent.
Gnistan Upcoming matches by league
Veikkausliiga
-
- Championship Group - 25
GnistanNo H2HHJK helsinki
-
- Championship Group - 26
GnistanNo H2HInter Turku
-
- Championship Group - 27
VPSNo H2HGnistan
Lemonsoft Stadion
Gnistan Last matches by league
Veikkausliiga
-
- Championship Group - 24
AC Oulu1 - 2Gnistan
-
- Championship Group - 23
Gnistan1 - 1KuPS
Suomen Cup
Friendlies Clubs
League Cup
Gnistan Team Roster
Gnistan’s recorded squad contains 25 players: seven attackers, nine defenders, five goalkeepers and four midfielders. The attacking group includes A. Akinyemi, D. Pérez, J. Latonen and R. Eremenko, offering a varied senior forward line. Defensive options include A. Obileye, B. Dahlström, J. Ojala and Marcelo Costa, while Á. Craninx, Niklas Lindström and O. Lyberopoulos form the listed goalkeeping unit. A. Jouhi, G. Europaeus, O. Hannula and S. Ylätupa complete the midfield category. The roster combines Finnish-based experience with several international names across its four positional groups.
position Goalkeeper
Alexandro Marco Craninx Joostens
Otso Virtanen
Oskar Lyberopoulos
Matej Jurička
position Defender
Benjamin Dahlström
Roger Bonet Badía
Marcelo Costa
Bogdan Milovanov
Max Herman Bjurstrøm
Pakwo Abdoul Rachide Gnanou
Noah Rossi
Samuel Heikari
Juhani Lauri Henrik Ojala
Stephen Ayomide Oluwagbenga Obileye
position Midfielder
Edmund Arko-Mensah
Sergey Eremenko
Gabriel Onni Vilho Europaeus
Roman Eremenko
Otto Hannula
Adam Jouhi
position Attacker
Artur Atarah
Joakim Latonen
Danny Marcos Pérez Valdez
Adeleke Akinola Akinyemi
Saku Tuomas Severi Ylätupa
K. Launiala
Jeff Selenge
Last Gnistan Coachs
Jussi Leppälahti is Gnistan’s current coach, having begun his tenure on 1 January 2024. The Finnish coach, born in 1986, followed Joonas Rantanen, whose recorded spell ran from January 2022 to October 2023. Earlier chronology lists Rui de Carvalho and Ricardo Duarte, both Portuguese coaches, during 2020 and 2021, while Roberto Nuccio of Italy is recorded from July 2017 to December 2020. The timeline places Leppälahti at the head of a club that has also used international coaching experience.
Jussi Leppälahti
History
| Coach | Coach country | Coach since | Coach until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jussi Leppälahti | Finland | 1 January 2024 | |
| Joonas Rantanen | Finland | 1 January 2022 | 1 October 2023 |
| Rui de Carvalho | Portugal | 1 July 2021 | 1 December 2021 |
| Ricardo Filipe Lima Duarte | Portugal | 1 August 2020 | 1 October 2021 |
| Roberto Nuccio | Italy | 1 July 2017 | 1 December 2020 |
| Tommi Lingman | Finland | 1 January 2016 | 17 July 2017 |
| Erkka Viktor Lehtola | Finland | 1 October 2012 | 1 December 2013 |
| Jani Honkavaara | Finland | 1 November 2011 | 1 October 2012 |
Gnistan Transfers
Recent recorded arrivals include Noah Rossi from GrIFK and O. Hannula from HJK Helsinki, both marked as transfers. S. Ylätupa, A. Jouhi, A. Obileye, A. Akinyemi and S. Eremenko are listed as free-agent additions. M. Bjurstrøm arrived from Helsingborg on loan, and M. Ritari joined from HJK Helsinki on loan in July 2025. The movement record also includes returns from loan involving B. Dahlström, E. Vauhkonen and E. Lappalainen at the end of 2025. D. Pérez and several other arrivals have no stated movement type, so their status remains unspecified.
Latest player transfers from
| Player | Team from | Transfer type | Transfer date |
|---|---|---|---|
| O. Virtanen |
Ilves
|
Loan | 23 August 2026 |
| Ruxi |
Persepam Madura Utd
|
Free agent | 16 August 2026 |
| B. Milovanov |
Sirius
|
Loan | 13 August 2026 |
GrIFK
|
Transfer | 15 July 2026 | |
| Ruxi |
Persepam Madura Utd
|
Free agent | 29 June 2026 |
| D. Pérez |
Real Tomayapo
|
- | 2 March 2026 |
| S. Ylätupa |
Kalmar FF
|
Free agent | 24 February 2026 |
| Ramilson |
EIF
|
Free agent | 16 February 2026 |
| M. Bjurstrøm |
Helsingborg
|
Loan | 9 February 2026 |
| K. Woolery |
Anorthosis
|
- | 28 January 2026 |
| O. Hannula |
HJK Helsinki
|
Transfer | 20 January 2026 |
Beaconsfield Town
|
- | 15 January 2026 | |
| A. Jouhi |
KäPa
|
Free agent | 13 January 2026 |
| A. Jouhi |
KäPa
|
Free agent | 13 January 2026 |
| A. Obileye |
SJK
|
Free agent | 11 January 2026 |
Recent recorded departures include E. Lappalainen to KäPa on transfer, while V. Hänninen, K. Woolery, H. Woivalin, O. Günes, D. Hafstad, T. Väyrynen and J. Tynkkynen are listed as free-agent departures. M. Ritari returned to HJK Helsinki after a loan, and several other movements have no stated type, including Arafat Al Haj to PKKU and M. Yinkfu Chuye to Wolfsburg U19. P. Sihvola, Konsta Rasimus and S. Markkanen moved to Gnistan O35. These entries describe recorded movement activity rather than a complete movement total.
Latest player transfers to
| Player | Team to | Transfer type | Transfer date |
|---|---|---|---|
PuiU Helsinki
|
Free agent | 6 August 2026 | |
| E. Lappalainen |
KäPa
|
Transfer | 27 July 2026 |
| E. Lappalainen |
KäPa
|
Transfer | 26 July 2026 |
| V. Hänninen |
SJK
|
Free agent | 1 July 2026 |
PKKU
|
Loan | 30 June 2026 | |
| Arafat Al Haj |
PKKU
|
- | 30 June 2026 |
| M. Yinkfu Chuye |
Wolfsburg U19
|
- | 29 June 2026 |
Gnistan O35
|
- | 11 April 2026 | |
| Konsta Rasimus |
Gnistan O35
|
- | 31 March 2026 |
| K. Woolery |
Tranmere
|
Free agent | 19 March 2026 |
|
Gnistan O35
|
Free agent | 28 February 2026 | |
| H. Woivalin |
Honka
|
Free agent | 25 February 2026 |
| O. Günes |
EIF
|
Free agent | 22 February 2026 |
| D. Hafstad |
Tromsdalen Uil
|
Free agent | 19 February 2026 |
| D. Hafstad |
Tromsdalen Uil
|
Free agent | 19 February 2026 |
Transfers Synthesis
Gnistan’s recorded player movement shows changes in the senior group across the period covered. Arrivals span transfers, free-agent additions, loans and returns from loan, with Noah Rossi and O. Hannula among the entries marked as transfers, S. Ylätupa and A. Obileye among the free-agent additions, and M. Bjurstrøm recorded on loan. Departures likewise combine a transfer, free-agent exits, a return to a parent club and moves into Gnistan O35. Some entries lack a stated movement type, so the pattern supports a measured reading of permanence and squad continuity. The movement summary is selective rather than a complete account of every change. It therefore indicates substantial personnel movement without establishing a complete net balance or explaining every registration decision.
Leagues Gnistan has participated in
Gnistan’s recent competition profile extends through 2025 in four recorded entries: Veikkausliiga, League Cup, Suomen Cup and Friendlies Clubs. These cover top-flight league football, domestic cup football and preparation matches. Earlier participation includes Ykkönen from 2017 to 2023 and Ykköscup from 2022 to 2023. The Kakkonen - Lohko A, B and C records are historical, covering seasons between 2012 and 2019. The pattern places Gnistan within Finland’s domestic league and cup structure, with the latest documented cycle centered on Veikkausliiga and national cup football alongside League Cup and club friendlies.
More about Gnistan
Gnistan is a Finnish football club from Oulunkylä, a northern Helsinki district whose local sports culture is central to the club’s identity. The club is also associated with the nickname Kipinä, meaning The Spark in Finnish, an apt emblem for a community-based organisation built around energy, participation and neighborhood pride. Yellow, blue and black are the defining colors, giving Gnistan a clear visual presence within the capital’s football landscape.
The club’s historical continuity comes from a broader multisport tradition. Over time, football became its principal public identity, with the section developing through Helsinki’s domestic football structure rather than through a heavily commercial international model. That background remains visible in the emphasis on local engagement, member representation and youth development. Gnistan’s governance is presented as a traditional club association, with its community and development pathways more important to its profile than private or conglomerate ownership.
Home matches are staged at Markku.fi Areena in the Oulunkylä sports park. The ground, historically known as Oulunkylän jalkapallostadion and under other sponsorship names, has the character of a neighborhood venue rather than a large metropolitan arena. It connects the senior side with the surrounding district and provides a recognizable setting for the club’s yellow and blue football.
On the field, Gnistan operates within Finland’s domestic football ecosystem. Its recorded participation includes Veikkausliiga, Ykkönen, Kakkonen group competitions, the Suomen Cup, League Cup, Ykköscup and club friendlies. The club’s profile combines a Finnish core with targeted international additions, while a local youth pathway supports continuity between grassroots football and the senior squad. That balance between place, development and competitive ambition defines Gnistan’s enduring character.
Last matches statistics for Gnistan
| match | shots | Poss. | Pass % | Fouls | Cards | Saves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gnistan
4 - 2
Mariehamn
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
AC Oulu
0 - 2
Gnistan
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Inter Turku
1 - 2
Gnistan
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Gnistan
0 - 1
KuPS
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
SJK
2 - 2
Gnistan
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Gnistan
3 - 2
Ilves
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
HJK helsinki
2 - 3
Gnistan
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Gnistan
1 - 1
Turku PS
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Gnistan
1 - 1
KuPS
|
5 / 13 |
|
0% | 9 | 2 | 1 |
|
AC Oulu
1 - 2
Gnistan
|
5 / 14 |
|
0% | 13 | 3 | 4 |
Detailed statistics Gnistan
Xtra rating history
Last rating points (most recent matches).