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FF Jaro

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Jaro
Logo of FF Jaro
Full nameFotbollsföreningen Jaro Jalkapalloseura
Founded1965
GroundProject Liv Arena, Jakobstad
Capacity3,616
ChairmanTommy Löfs
ManagerJens Karlsson
LeagueVeikkausliiga
2026Veikkausliiga, 11th of 12

Fotbollsföreningen Jaro (Jakobstads Rostfria), commonly known simply as Jaro, is a Finnish professional football club based in the bilingual town of Jakobstad. The club currently plays in Veikkausliiga, the top tier in Finland.

History

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Jaro was founded on December 18, 1965 by football enthusiasts working at Oy Jakobstads Rostfria Ab, which became the club’s first sponsor. Jaro rose through the Finnish football divisions, earning promotion to Finland’s top tier for the first time in 1988 by beating MyPa in a playoff game for direct promotion (3–2 on penalties). The club was relegated after one season but returned in 1991 and remained in Veikkausliiga until 1998. Jaro finished 5th in 1995 and played in the Intertoto Cup in 1996. Jaro also reached the Finnish Cup final in 1999 but lost to FC Jokerit.

The 2000s saw ups and downs, including financial difficulties in 2008 that were resolved through restructuring. Jaro remained in the Veikkausliiga from 2002 until 2015, when they were relegated to Ykkönen. In recent years, the club has continued to fight for promotion. In 2024, Jaro successfully returned to Veikkausliiga. In all, Jaro has played 23 seasons in the top-tier.

Stadium

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Image
Jakobstads Centralplan

Until July 2025, Jaro played their home games at Jakobstads Centralplan, a stadium originally opened in 1971 and renovated in 2003. The venue has a capacity of approximately 5,000 spectators. The stadium's attendance record of 5,611 was set during a 2007 Veikkausliiga local derby between FF Jaro and VPS. This match drew nearly 1,300 more spectators than the previous record.

The new Pietarsaari Football Stadium (named Project Liv Arena for sponsorship reasons) opened in July 2025.

Current squad

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As of 26 August, 2026[1]

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 Image BEL Senne Vits
2 DF Image FIN Felix Kass
3 DF Image SWE Erik Gunnarsson
4 MF Image NGR Michael Ogungbaro
5 DF Image FIN Aron Bjonbäck
6 DF Image FIN Johan Brunell
7 MF Image NOR Jesper Skau
8 MF Image SYR Oliver Kass Kawo
9 FW Image SWE Linus Zetterström
10 MF Image FIN Luca Weckström
12 GK Image FIN Joas Snellman
13 MF Image FIN Altti Hellemaa (on loan from Elfsborg)
15 FW Image FIN Rudi Vikström
16 MF Image FIN Adam Vidjeskog
18 FW Image FIN Elliot Holmäng
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 DF Image NOR Fabian Ness
20 DF Image FIN Ted Söderström
21 DF Image FIN Jim Myrevik
22 MF Image FIN Kaius Hardén
23 FW Image ENG Jonathan Lawson
24 MF Image FIN Valde Löfs
26 MF Image NOR Mats Pedersen (on loan from HamKam)
27 FW Image FIN Joas Vikström
30 FW Image FIN Morteza Najafi
31 GK Image FIN Anton Finell
42 FW Image FIN Joni Remesaho
77 FW Image SOM Abdi Sabriye (on loan from Kalmar FF)
91 FW Image FIN Ville Vuorinen
— DF Image HUN Gergő Kocsis
— FW Image SWE Devin Laroussi

Out on loan

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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

Management and boardroom

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Management

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As of 5 January 2026[2]

Name Role
Sweden Jens Karlsson Head coach
Finland Christian Sund Assistant coach
Finland Johannes Karf Goalkeeping coach
Finland Jeremias Klemets Fitness coach
Finland Johan Hult Naprapath
Finland Jesper Ahlvik Masseur
Finland Veppe Tervaskangas Team Manager
Finland Tobias Sundberg Doctor

Boardroom

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As of 5 February 2026[3]

Name Role
Finland Tommy Löfs Chairman
Finland Dan Käldman CEO
Finland Maria Ljungeld COO
United States Chris Corcoran Team Manager
Finland Mikael Byggmästar Chairman of the Youthsection
Finland Ida-Marie Jungell Head of Marketing

Season to season

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International achievements

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1996 UEFA Intertoto Cup

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FF Jaro – France Guingamp 0-0
Romania Dinamo Bucharest – FF Jaro 0–2
FF Jaro – Georgia (country) Kolkheti Poti 2–0
Serbia Zemun – FF Jaro 3–2

Former managers

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References

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  1. ↑ FF Jaro. "Joukkue". www.ffjaro.fi. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  2. ↑ FF Jaro. "Joukkue". www.ffjaro.fi. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  3. ↑ "Toimisto" (in Finnish). FF Jaro. Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
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