AC Kajaani

AC Kajaani was a football club from Kajaani, Finland. The club was formed in 2006 after the merger of FC Tarmo and Kajaanin Palloilijat (KaPa). Their home ground was Kajaanin Liikuntapuisto. The men's football first team last played in the Ykkonen (the second highest level of football in Finland). The club dissolved in December 2020 following their relegation from the Ykkonen.

History

AC Kajaani was founded in 2006 by a merger of Kajaanin Palloilijat (KaPa -- "Kajaani Ballers") and FC Tarmo. The newly merged club took over FC Tarmo's place in the Kolmonen—the fourth tier of the Finnish soccer league system—in the Northern Finland group. Arvo Toivainen was the chairman of the club. Only KaPa's adult men's team joined the new club; KaPa continued to operate their own youth clubs, with an affiliation with the new club. However, KaPa would eventually cease its youth football operations, which would not restart until 2014.

In the club's first four seasons, the club managed to finish in second place on all four occasions, missing out on promotion by small margins each time, including on goal difference in 2009 to city rival Kajaanin Haka.

In 2011, AC Kajaani finally won its long awaited league title, earning promotion to the Kakkonen, in the Pohjoinen (Northern) group. The season was special for AC Kajaani as they completed an undefeated season, finishing with a league record of 17 wins and one draw, while winning once and drawing once against JPS in a 5–2 aggregate victory in the playoffs. Kajaani won the league title in its first year in the Kakkonen and defeated JaPS in the playoffs to earn a second straight promotion, to the Ykkonen, the second tier of the Finnish soccer league system.

In 2013, AC Kajaani endured a poor year in the Ykkonen, winning only three matches all season long, while earning a relegation back down to the Kakkonen. Back in the Kakkonen, AC Kajaani finished third in three consecutive seasons. A highlight from the 2016 season was AC Kajaani's deep run in the Suo