FC LAHTI CLUB HISTORY

FC Lahti was founded in 1996 on the solid foundation of two traditional football clubs in Lahti, Lahden Reipas and FC Kuusysi. While both clubs had left their mark in Finnish football history many years earlier, financially there was simply no room in Lahti for two big clubs competing against each other. It was time for a change. The solution was to join forces and create one common elite-level club to keep up the fine traditions and good work of the football clubs in Lahti. FC Reipas and FC Kuusysi continued to work with the juniors and women's football.

FC Lahti started life in the Finnish First Division, where they played for the first two years before being promoted as champions to the Finnish Football League, known as Veikkausliiga, in 1998. The first two years in the Veikkausliiga were hard, but FC Lahti managed to keep their head up high and avoid relegation. The next few years saw FC Lahti establish their status as a mid-table team until 2008, when they finally won their first bronze medal and a place in European competition. All looked good at that point, but 2010 was a year to forget. The team was decent, but failed to score enough and win the big games, so at the end of the season FC Lahti were relegated from the Veikkausliiga.

In 2011, FC Lahti played in the Finnish First Division again winning promotion straight back to the Veikkausliiga as champions. The following seasons saw FC Lahti cement their place in the top flight of Finnish football, but in 2014 they raised the bar higher again. On a small budget, the team worked hard and ended up securing the club's second bronze medal after a fascinating season. This brought another opportunity for FC Lahti to play in the UEFA Europa League, which the club hopes will not be the last.

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