title: Ilta-Sanomat Player of the Year Award
text: # Ilta-Sanomat Player of the Year Award
  
  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
  
  | Season | Player | Club |
  | - | - | - |
  | 1983 | Mika Lipponen | TPS Turku |
  | 1984 | Heikki Suhonen | TPS Turku |
  | 1985 | Jukka Ikäläinen | KePS Kemi |
  | 1986 | Ismo Lius | FC Kuusysi |
  | 1987 | Jarmo Alatensiö | PPT Pori |
  | 1988 | Ismo Lius | FC Kuusysi |
  | 1989 | Jari Litmanen | Reipas Lahti |
  | 1990 | Jari Litmanen | Reipas Lahti |
  | 1991 | Jari Litmanen | HJK Helsinki |
  | 1992 | Vasili Karatayev | RoPS Rovaniemi |
  | 1993 | Piracaia | FC Jazz |
  | 1994 | Alexei Eremenko Sr. | FF Jaro |
  | 1995 | Valeri Popovitch | FC Haka |
  | 1996 | Luiz Antônio | FC Jazz |
  | 1997 | Alexei Eremenko Sr. | FF Jaro |
  | 1998 | Zeddy Saileti | RoPS Rovaniemi |
  | 1999 | Valeri Popovitch | FC Haka |
  | 2000 | Shefki Kuqi | FC Jokerit |
  | 2001 | Antti Pohja | Tampere United |
  | 2002 | Jari Niemi | Tampere United |
  | 2003 | Valeri Popovitch | FC Haka |
  | 2004 | Fredrik Svanbäck | FF Jaro |
  | 2005 | Valeri Popovitch | FC Haka |
  | 2006 | Farid Ghazi | HJK Helsinki |
  | 2007 | Valeri Popovitch | FC Haka |
  | 2008 | Mikko Hyyrynen | FF Jaro |
  