FC Santa Claus facts for kids
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| Full name | FC Santa Claus | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Santa | ||
| Founded | 1992 (as FC Santa Claus Rovaniemi) 2012 (re-founded as FC Santa Claus Arctic Circle) 2021 (third edition as FC Santa Claus) |
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| Ground | Saarenkylän Stadion, Rovaniemi, Finland | ||
| Chairman | Juha Eteläinen | ||
| Coach | Santtu Pätäri | ||
| League | Nelonen | ||
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FC Santa Claus is a special football club from Rovaniemi, Finland. This city is known as the official home of Santa Claus! The team currently plays in the Nelonen, which is the sixth level of football in Finland.
Even though they play in a lower league, FC Santa Claus is famous around the world. They have played in higher leagues, like the third level (Kakkonen) for 14 seasons. In 2010, they almost reached the second level (Ykkönen) but lost in a playoff game. The club plays its home games at the Saarenkylän Stadion.
The club first started in 1992 as FC Santa Claus Rovaniemi. This happened when two local teams, Rovaniemen Reipas and Rovaniemen Lappi, joined together. In 2012, the club faced money problems and had to restart. They became FC Santa Claus Arctic Circle. Then, in 2021, the youth part of the club brought back the senior men's team, simply called FC Santa Claus.
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Why the Name FC Santa Claus?
The club's name comes from the famous legend that Rovaniemi, Finland, is where Santa Claus lives! They chose the English name "Santa Claus" instead of the Finnish "Joulupukki." This was done so more people around the world would recognize the club.
Because of their unique name, FC Santa Claus gets attention from news channels globally, especially during Christmas. The club even has a fun story about how they started. They say Santa's elves formed the team by kicking a football in the snow when they weren't busy wrapping presents!
The club also claims they asked Santa for permission to use his name, and he said yes. Santa Claus is even their honorary coach! He attends the team's first game each season and sometimes shows up at other matches too.
The team's colors are red and white, just like Santa's suit. Their away uniforms are white and green, also Christmas colors. Their motto is "Don't Stop Believing," which reminds everyone about believing in Santa. The club also helps charities like UNICEF by donating money from jersey sales.
Most players on the team are local students or workers. Many of them help out at the local Christmas market or the post office, which gets all the letters sent to Santa in Finland. Even though they are a smaller club, they have had professional and international players in the past. Ralf Wunderlich, a German coach, said FC Santa Claus is the second team in Rovaniemi. The main team is Rovaniemen Palloseura (RoPS), but FC Santa Claus keeps "the spirit of Christmas" alive.
Club History: From Start to Now
How the Club Began (1992–2012)
FC Santa Claus was formed in 1992. It was created by combining two football clubs from Rovaniemi: Rovaniemen Reipas and Rovaniemen Lappi. Both of these clubs were playing in the third tier of Finnish football, called Kakkonen. So, when they merged, FC Santa Claus also started in the Kakkonen.
The club's first logo showed Santa waving and holding a football. Later, it changed to Santa sitting at a desk, checking his famous naughty and nice lists.
Their first official game was in 1993. In their first season, they finished third in the third tier. In 1994, they won the Midnattsolscupen, a special tournament in Sweden. They even played friendly matches against famous English teams like Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, and West Ham United. In 1997, 5,000 fans watched them play Crystal Palace!
After eight seasons in the third tier, they moved down to the fourth tier (Kolmonen) in 2000. They won their division in 2001 but didn't get promoted right away. They finally moved back up to the Kakkonen in 2008. In 2010, they almost got promoted to the second tier (Ykkönen) but lost in the playoffs.
Money Troubles and New Beginnings (2013–2019)
In 2012, the club had serious money problems and went bankrupt. They restarted as FC Santa Claus Arctic Circle. However, the Finnish Football Association didn't let them keep their spot in the third tier. So, in 2013, they had to start again in the fourth tier.
In 2014, they won their division and were promoted back to the third tier for the 2015 season. In 2013, they also teamed up with RoPS, the top team in Rovaniemi, to be their partner club.
More money problems hit in 2015, but big companies like EA Sports and Puma helped them out with sponsorships. Later, Nike made their uniforms. In 2016, they partnered with a Chinese company, Bewin Sports, which helped them financially.
The 2016 season was tough. Many experienced players left, and the team was relegated back to the fourth tier. They only won two games and had two draws out of 22 matches. They even lost one game 16-0 because they had so many injured players! Later that year, they traveled to China and played a friendly game on Christmas Eve against Chinese celebrities, which they won. The next year, they went back to China and played with famous football stars like Alessandro Del Piero and Michael Owen.
In 2018, FC Santa Claus finished last in the Kolmonen and moved down to the fifth tier (Nelonen). In 2019, they finished last again and were set to go down to the sixth tier. However, this version of the club stopped playing after the 2019 season due to bankruptcy.
The Club's Third Chapter (2021–Present)
In 2021, it was announced that FC Santa Claus would return to Finnish football! This new start was led by the youth club, FC Santa Claus Juniorit, which had kept going. The club went back to its original Rovaniemi logo. They re-entered the league system in the sixth tier (Vitonen). In their first game back, they won 4-2. After two seasons in the sixth tier, they were promoted to the fifth tier, the Nelonen.
Notable Former Players
Tomer Chencinski
Raphael Edereho
Ricardo Friedrich
Jyri Hietaharju- Janne Hietanen
- Matti Hiukka
- Tomas Hradecký
- Akseli Kalermo
- Juhani Kangas
- Jarkko Lahdenmäki
- Jarkko Luiro
- Mika-Matti Maisonvaara
- Joni Mäkelä
- Jussi Niska
Ransford Osei
Vilim Posinković- Simo Roiha
- Kari-Pekka Syväjärvi
- Ville Syväjärvi
- Tero Taipale
- Emenike Uchenna Mbachu
- Iiro Vanha
- Miska Ylitolva
- Jukka Yrjänheikki
Reserve Team and Women's Team
FC Santa's Reserve Team
In 2014, the club created a second team called FC Santa. This team started playing in the fifth tier. In 2015, they won their division and moved up to the fourth tier. They were relegated back to the fifth tier in 2017 but won it again. However, the club decided to stop the reserve team after 2017.
FC Santa Claus Women's Team
FC Santa Claus AC also started a women's team in 2016. They played in the Naisten Kolmonen, which is the women's fourth tier. They played for two seasons, in 2016 and 2017. The club has announced that they will bring back the women's team.
Club Achievements
Main Team
- Kakkonen (Third Tier) Division Title - 2010
- Kolmonen (Fourth Tier) Division Title - 2001, 2008, 2014
- Midnattsolscupen Cup - 1994
Reserve Team
- Nelonen (Fifth Tier) Division Title - 2015, 2017
Youth Teams: FC Santa Claus Juniorit
The youth club, FC Santa Claus Juniorit, started in 1994 as FC Lynx. In 2013, they changed their name to FC Santa Claus Juniorit after partnering with both RoPS and FC Santa Claus AC. They have youth teams for all age groups, helping young players develop their skills.
Since 2017, the Junior club has worked with Football Development Schools and the English Premier League team West Bromwich Albion.
Every summer, the club hosts the Santa Claus Cup. This tournament brings together boys' and girls' teams from many different countries.
See also
In Spanish: FC Santa Claus para niños
