FC Flora Tallinn

Infobox Football club
clubname = FC Flora


fullname = Mittetulundusühing Jalgpalliklubi
Football Club Flora [cite web | url=http://fcflora.ee/index.php?lang=est&main_id=6 | title= Kontakt |work=fcflora.ee | accessdaymonth=August 1 | accessyear=2008]
nickname = "Triibulised" (Streakeds)
founded = March 10, 1990
ground = A. Le Coq Arena
Tallinn
capacity = 9,300 [ [http://www.worldstadiums.com/europe/countries/estonia.shtml Stadiums in Estonia - World Stadiums] ]
chairman = flagicon|Estonia Aivar Pohlak
manager = flagicon|Finland Pasi Rautiainen
league = Meistriliiga
season = 2007
position = Meistriliiga, 2nd
shirtsupplier = Nike
shirtsponsors = Elisa
pattern_la1=_white_hoops|pattern_b1=_whitehoops|pattern_ra1=_white_hoops
leftarm1=00A650|body1=00A650|rightarm1=00A650|shorts1=FFFFFF|socks1=00A650
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=FFFFFF|body2=FFFFFF|rightarm2=FFFFFF|shorts2=FFFFFF|socks2=FFFFFF
website= http://www.fcflora.ee/

MTÜ JK FC Flora is an Estonian football club that was founded in 1990. FC Flora are a multiple winner of the Meistriliiga title and the Estonian Cup. They have for years been raising the most number of players for the national team, and have also grown players from their successful youth system that have had a good career abroad. These players include for example Mart Poom, Andres Oper, Raio Piiroja, Ragnar Klavan. FC Flora have also developed many players that have gone on and brought success to other Estonian clubs.

History

The club was founded in 1990. Flora played their first season in the second division of Estonian SSR championship. The club was mostly packed with former Tallinna Lõvid players.

In 1994, Flora won their first Meistriliiga title under rather controversial circumstances, when the Estonian FA decided to disqualify the leaders Tevalte Tallinn on match-fixing allegations that were never proven. The title was then decided in a champioship playoff, since Norma and Flora finished level on points. But, as a protest against the disqualification of Tevalte, Norma Tallinn decided to field their youth squad and lost the game 2-5. Flora went on to secure the title the following season.

In the summer of 1998, Flora, the newly-crowned Meistriliiga champions, played AC Milan in a friendly in Sicilia. Flora shocked Milan, who fielded most of their star players, on the 16th minute when they took an unlikely lead through Urmas Kirs' header after Marko Kristal's corner. Milan equalized on 36 minutes, through George Weah's close-range header. The Italian giants scored their second of the night six minutes later to take a 2-1 lead, when Zvonimir Boban sent the ball past Toomas Tohver. Oliver Bierhoff came close to adding a third for Milan in the second half, but saw his one-on-one effort denied by the Estonian goalkeeper. The score remained unchanged for the rest of the game. [ [http://www.sloleht.ee/index.aspx?id=26810&d=19980831&a=1 FC Flora väärikas esitus - SL Õhtuleht ] ]

Farm clubs

As the only government-supported team in Estonia, Flora own and operate several reserve teams and farm clubs in different divisions. Tulevik Viljandi, one of the founding members of the Estonian Meistriliiga, the top tier of Estonian league system, are owned by FC Flora. Players who haven't made a sufficient impact at the club, are often sent over to play out the rest of their contracts at Tulevik. Tervis Pärnu, Flora's reserve team until 2005, was disbanded and replaced with FC Flora II ahead of the 2006 season. Upon their relegation from the Meistriliiga, Valga Warrior have been used as the club's second reserve team, one step behind the Flora's second team. In addition to Flora II and Valga Warrior, Flora own three more clubs in the Esiliiga, second overall tier (FC Kuressaare, Flora's second biggest farm club, Flora Paide and Flora Rakvere), three in the Second League (FC Elva, JK Viljandi Tulevik II, and FC Valga Warrior II), two in the Third League (FC Elva II and FC Flora Järva-Jaani SK) and one in the Fourth League (FC Flora Rapla).

tadium

FC Flora's main rivals are FC Levadia and FC TVMK, all three teams come from the Estonian capital city of Tallinn. Flora's home stadium is a recently built A. Le Coq Arena which holds a capacity of 9,300 and has an under-soil heating system. The stadium complex also holds many training pitches with natural but also with artificial turf. There are short-term plans to add a full-sized indoor training pitch. [cite web | url=http://fcflora.ee/index.php?lang=est&main_id=3 | title= A. Le Coq Arena |work=fcflora.ee | accessdaymonth=August 1 | accessyear=2008] [cite web | url=http://fcflora.ee/index.php?lang=est&main_id=226 | title= Treeningväljakud |work=fcflora.ee | accessdaymonth=August 1 | accessyear=2008]

Achievements

*Meistriliiga: (7) [cite web | url=http://fcflora.ee/index.php?lang=est&main_id=26 | title= FC Flora Eesti meistrivõistlustel |work=fcflora.ee | accessdaymonth=August 1 | accessyear=2008]
1993-94, 1994-95, 1997-98, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003

*Estonian Cup: (3) [cite web | url=http://fcflora.ee/index.php?lang=est&main_id=27 | title= FC Flora Eesti karikavõistlustel |work=fcflora.ee | accessdaymonth=August 1 | accessyear=2008] 1994-95, 1997-98, 2007-08

*Estonian SuperCup: (4) [cite web | url=http://fcflora.ee/index.php?linker=true&id=24&lang=est | title= Saavutused |work=fcflora.ee | accessdaymonth=August 1 | accessyear=2008] 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004

FC Flora in Estonian Football

ImageSize = width:600 height:60PlotArea = left:10 right:10 bottom:30 top:10TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyyDateFormat = dd/mm/yyyyPeriod = from:01/01/1992 till:01/07/2008ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:1 start:1992 Colors = id:bl1 value:rgb(0.5,0.8,0.5) id:bl2 value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.3) id:rs value:rgb(0.8,0.6,0.6) id:rn value:rgb(0.9,0.1,0.1)

PlotData= bar:Position width:15 color:white align:center

from:01/01/1992 till:01/01/1992 shift:(0,-4) text:4 from:01/01/1992 till:01/01/1993 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/01/1993 till:01/01/1994 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/01/1994 till:01/01/1995 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/01/1995 till:01/01/1996 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/01/1996 till:01/01/1997 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/01/1997 till:01/01/1998 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/01/1998 till:01/07/1998 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1998 till:01/07/1999 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/1999 till:01/07/2000 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/2000 till:01/07/2001 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/2001 till:01/07/2002 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/2002 till:01/07/2003 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/2003 till:01/07/2004 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/2004 till:01/07/2005 shift:(0,-4) text:4 from:01/07/2005 till:01/07/2006 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/2006 till:01/07/2007 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/2007 till:01/07/2008 shift:(0,-4) text:

from:01/01/1992 till:01/07/2008 color:bl1 shift:(0,13) text: "M e i s t r i l i i g a"

UEFA club competition results

:"As of August 1, 2008:"

Reserves

Notable former players

Coaches

"See also: cl|FC Flora Tallinn players" [cite web | url=http://fcflora.ee/index.php?lang=est&main_id=25 | title= Treenerid |work=fcflora.ee | accessdaymonth=August 1 | accessyear=2008]

References

External links

* [http://www.fcflora.ee/ Official website]
* [http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/club=59341/domestic.html/ UEFA.com entry]