Estonia national football team

Infobox National football team
Name = Estonia
Badge = Estonia_FA.png Badge_size = 150px
FIFA Trigramme = EST
Nickname = "Sinisärgid" (Blue shirts)
Association = Estonian Football Association
Confederation = UEFA (Europe)
Coach = Flagicon|Estonia Tarmo Rüütli
Captain = Mart Poom | Most caps = Martin Reim (156)
Top scorer = Andres Oper (35)
Home Stadium = A. Le Coq Arena
FIFA Rank = 137 |1st ranking date = August 1993
FIFA max = 60
FIFA max date = December 2002
FIFA min = 137
FIFA min date = October 2008

Elo Rank = 112 | Elo max = 51
Elo max date = August 1927

pattern_la1=_Estonia|pattern_b1=_Estonia|pattern_ra1=_Estonia
leftarm1=007FFF|body1=007FFF|rightarm1=007FFF|shorts1=FFFFFF|socks1=007FFF
pattern_la2=_Estonia2|pattern_b2=_Estonia2|pattern_ra2=_Estonia2
leftarm2=FFFFFF|body2=FFFFFF|rightarm2=FFFFFF|shorts2=000000|socks2=FFFFFF

First game = Flagicon|Estonia Estonia 0 - 6 Finland Flagicon|Finland (Helsinki, Finland; 17 October, 1920)
Largest win = Flagicon|Estonia Estonia 6 - 0 Lithuania Flagicon|Lithuania (Tallinn, Estonia; 26 July, 1928)
Largest loss = Flagicon|Finland Finland 10 - 2 Estonia Flagicon|Estonia (Helsinki, Finland; 11 August, 1922)
World cup apps =
World cup first =
World cup best =
Regional name = European Championship
Regional cup apps =
Regional cup first =
Regional cup best = The Estonia national football team is controlled by the Estonian Football Association. They played their first match in 1920. In 1940 Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union and did not regain independence (and the possibility of a national football team) until 1991. As a newly independent nation, they played their first match against Lithuania in the Baltic Cup on November 15, 1991, and their first FIFA-recognized match against Slovenia on June 3, 1992, a 1-1 draw at Tallinn. Home matches are played at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn.

Modern History

After Estonia gained independence, the national team was initially the weakest of the three Baltic teams, suffering defeats such as a 7-1 loss to Croatia in the Euro 96 qualifiers. In the 1998 World Cup qualifiers, Estonia achieved notoriety when a home game against Scotland would be called off in bizarre circumstances. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19961108/ai_n14080295 "Scotland must play an Estonian encore"] ] The replay in Monaco finished 0-0; goalkeeper Mart Poom earned a move to Derby County soon afterwards.

Estonia's fortunes have improved since. In the Euro 2004 qualifiers, Estonia proved remarkably obdurate with 8 points from as many games, only 4 goals scored and 6 conceded. The 2006 World Cup qualifiers saw further improvement with 5 wins, 2 draws and 5 defeats. Estonia have a number of players who have amassed an astonishing number of caps, including Mart Poom, Andres Oper, Marko Kristal and Martin Reim.

World Cup record

*1930 - "Did not enter"
*1934 to 1938 - "Did not qualify"
*1950 to 1990 - "Did not enter, was part of the USSR"
*1994 to 2006 - "Did not qualify"

European Championship record

*1960 to 1992 - "Did not enter, was part of the USSR"
*1996 to 2008 - "Did not qualify"

Olympic games

.

Most caps for Estonia

*"Correct as of September 10, 2008" [cite web | title=Kõik Eesti Internatsionaalid läbi koondise ajaloo | url= http://jalgpall.struktuur.ee/1651 | publisher=Estonian Football Associationet icon]
*"Players who are still active and available for selection are in bold."

Top Estonia goalscorers

*"Correct as of September 10, 2008" [cite web | title=Kõik Eesti Internatsionaalid läbi koondise ajaloo | url= http://jalgpall.struktuur.ee/1651 | publisher=Estonian Football Associationet icon]
*"Players who are still active and available for selection are in bold."

Results and Fixtures

Recent results

Managers

*1992-1993: flagicon|Estonia Uno Piir
*1994-1995: flagicon|Estonia Roman Ubakivi
*1995 0000: flagicon|Estonia Aavo Sarap
*1996-1999: flagicon|Iceland Teitur Þórðarson
*1999-2000: flagicon|Estonia Tarmo Rüütli
*2000 0000: flagicon|Estonia Aivar Lillevere
*2000-2004: flagicon|Netherlands Arno Pijpers
*2004-2007: flagicon|Netherlands Jelle Goes
*2007 0000: flagicon|Denmark Viggo Jensen
*2007-0000: flagicon|Estonia Tarmo Rüütli

References

External links

* [http://www.jalgpall.ee/ Estonian Football Association] Official Site
* [http://www.fifa.com/associations/association=est/index.html Estonian Football Association at FIFA Official Site]
* [http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/countries/association=56556/index.html Estonian Football Association at UEFA Official Site]
* [http://www.soccernet.ee/page.php?page=/Ajalugu/koondis Estonia national team from 1920] et_icon
* [http://www.jalgpall.ee/ajalugu/koondis.htm Estonia national team 1920-1940 details] (Est.)
* [http://www.rsssf.com/tablese/est-intres.html RSSSF archive of results 1920-]
* [http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/est-recintlp.html RSSSF archive of most capped players and highest goalscorers]
*sportnet.ee/national team players/: [http://www.sportnet.ee/juur.php3?id=314 1920-1940] ; [http://www.sportnet.ee/juur.php3?id=565 1992-2004] et_icon
* [http://www.jalgpallihaigla.ee/?id=46&keel=ee Records of Estonia national team matches] et_icon