Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 11, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
A fire at FC Haka's stadium was confirmed as arson by Finnish police. The incident involved three suspects under 15 and followed the club's recent relegation. FC Haka is now fundraising for recovery.
Dec 11 (Reuters) - A fire which destroyed a stand at Finnish club FC Haka’s Tehtaan Kentta stadium on Sunday was started deliberately, Finnish police said on Wednesday.
Police said one of three suspects, all under the age of 15 according to Finnish broadcaster YLE, had admitted setting fire to an item that sparked the blaze which razed the wooden stand and burned part of the artificial pitch.
The incident came after the club, one of the country’s most decorated sides with nine league titles, were relegated from the Veikkausliiga, Finland’s top division, in October.
The club from the town of Valkeakoski, 150 kms north of Helsinki, has launched a fund-raising campaign to help it recover from the fire.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; editing by Clare Fallon)
Fundraising is the process of gathering voluntary contributions of money or resources, typically for a specific cause or project, such as supporting a sports club or charity.
A stadium is a large structure designed for sports events, concerts, and other entertainment activities, usually featuring seating for spectators and facilities for players.
Arson is the criminal act of deliberately setting fire to property, often resulting in damage or destruction, and can be prosecuted under criminal law.
Relegation is a sporting term used when a team is demoted to a lower division due to poor performance in their current league, affecting their status in competitive play.
A fundraising campaign is an organized effort to raise money for a specific cause or project, often involving various strategies to engage donors and promote contributions.
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