Ilta-Sanomat Player of the Year Award explained

Ilta-Sanomat Player of the Year Award (Finnish: IS-tähtikisa) is an annual award given by the Finnish evening paper Ilta-Sanomat for the best individual players of Finnish top leagues in ice hockey (SM-liiga), basketball (Korisliiga), volleyball (Mestaruusliiga) and floorball (Salibandyliiga). Due to sponsorship reasons the award has not been given in football Veikkausliiga since 2009.

The award is based on post-match ratings made in every single match by a sport journalist and two local sportspersons or celebrities. Best player of the match is awarded with three points ("stars"), second best with two and third best with one. The player collecting most "stars" during the season wins the award.

Winners

Football

SeasonPlayerClub
1983 Mika LipponenTPS Turku
1984 Heikki SuhonenTPS Turku
1985 Jukka IkäläinenKePS Kemi
1986 Ismo LiusFC Kuusysi
1987 Jarmo AlatensiöPPT Pori
1988 Ismo LiusFC Kuusysi
1989 Jari LitmanenReipas Lahti
1990 Jari LitmanenReipas Lahti
1991 Jari LitmanenHJK Helsinki
1992 Vasili KaratayevRoPS Rovaniemi
1993 PiracaiaFC Jazz
1994 Alexei Eremenko Sr.FF Jaro
1995 Valeri PopovitchFC Haka
1996 Luiz AntônioFC Jazz
1997 Alexei Eremenko Sr.FF Jaro
1998 Zeddy SailetiRoPS Rovaniemi
1999 Valeri PopovitchFC Haka
2000 Shefki KuqiFC Jokerit
2001 Antti PohjaTampere United
2002 Jari NiemiTampere United
2003 Valeri PopovitchFC Haka
2004 Fredrik SvanbäckFF Jaro
2005 Valeri PopovitchFC Haka
2006 Farid GhaziHJK Helsinki
2007 Valeri PopovitchFC Haka
2008 Mikko HyyrynenFF Jaro

See also