Estonia's football manager announces Baltic Cup squad
While much of the international media are looking out for the team sheet announcements from the various countries who have qualified for the FIFA World Cup starting in the United States next month, Estonia, too, has announced its squad – albeit for the more modest affair of the Baltic Cup.
Manager Jürgen Henn announced the squad Wednesday.
Several big names are missing, due to injury (Maksim Paskotši, Joonas Tamm, and Marten-Chris Paalberg) while left-back Michael Schjönning-Larsen (Kilmarnock) and 'keeper Matvei Igonen (Degerfors) are also not taking part in the tournament and the June training camp following it, by agreement with Henn.
Estonia are defending Baltic Cup champions, and the tournament runs June 6-9, making it an ideal World Cup warmup.
The three Baltic states are competing, joined once again by guest nation and some-time giant slayers the Faroe Islands.
The full Estonian squad Henn announced Wednesday is:
Goalkeepers
Karl Jakob Hein, 24 (SV Werder Bremen)
Kaur Kivila, 22 (Tallinna FC Flora)
Henri Perk*, 27 (Nõmme Kalju)
Defenders
Karol Mets (Capt), 33 (FC St. Pauli)
Vlasiy Sinyavskiy, 29 (Banik Ostrava)
Märten Kuusk, 30 (GKS Katowice)
Frank Liivak, 29 (Tallinna FCI Levadia)
Rasmus Peetson, 31 (Tallinna FCI Levadia)
Ioan Yakovlev, 28 (Panionios)
Kristo Hussar, 23 (AS Trencin)
Erko Jonne Tõugjas, 22 (Halmstad BK)
Mihhail Kolobov, 21 (Tallinna FC Flora)
Kristofer Käit, 21 (Portimonense SC)
Midfielders
Mattias Käit, 27 (FC Thun)
Markus Poom, 27 (AS Trencin)
Rocco Robert Shein, 22 (Fredrikstad FK)
Vladislav Kreida, 26 (Tallinna FC Flora)
Markus Soomets, 26 (IK Start)
Kevor Palumets, 23 (Podbrezova Železiarne)
Robi Saarma, 25 (Pardubice)
Patrik Kristal, 18 (FC Köln)
Soufian Gouram*, 20 (Hertha BSC) FIRST
Forwards
Rauno Sappinen, 30 (Tallinna FC Flora)
Mark Anders Lepik, 25 (Pärnu JK Vaprus)
Mattias Männilaan, 23 (Nõmme Kalju FC)
Tony Varjund*, 18 (Tallinna FC Flora) FIRST
* Player making their senior national team debut.
As well as being hosts, Estonia are the reigning Baltic Cup champions having won the competition the last time it was held, in 2024. They face the Faroe Islands in the opening match, on June 6. Kick off is at 6 p.m. at Pärnu Rannastaadion.
This is the first time the national team have played in Estonia's summer capital in nearly a decade. On the last day of August, 2016, Estonia drew 1-1 with Malta.
Latvia and Lithuania also play on June 6. Who Estonia faces next depends on how that match pans out, but Lithuania would be the preferable option as it would mean playing before a home crowd at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn on June 9. If they face Latvia, this means an away fixture there, however.
Tickets for the Estonia-Faroes game are on sale via the Piletlevi site and the Estonian FA's (EJK) site. ETV2 is showing the match live.
--
Editor: Henrik Laever, Andrew Whyte
