FC Nõmme United

FC Nõmme United

Full name	Jalgpalliklubi FC Nõmme United
Founded	2000; 24 years ago (2000)
Ground	Männiku Stadium
Capacity	500
President	Mart Poom
Manager	Jani Sarajärvi
League	Meistriliiga
2023	Esiliiga, 1st of 10 (promoted)
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours

FC Nõmme United is an Estonian professional football club based in Nõmme, a district in Tallinn. The club was founded in 2000 and from the 2024 season competes in the Meistriliiga, the top flight of Estonian football. Their home ground is Männiku Stadium.

Led by Mart Poom, the club is renowned for its strong youth system.

History

The club was founded in 2000 by Enn Loog and was initially named FC Elion, before the name was changed to FC Nõmme United in 2006. From early years on, Mart Poom, who at the time was playing in the Premier League, contributed to the growth of the club. After Poom's retirement, Mart Poomi Jalgpallikool (English: Mart Poom's Football School) was founded which started to act as an academy to Nõmme United.^[1] The club quickly established itself as one of the leading youth academies in the country. In 2018, goalkeeper Karl Jakob Hein joined the academy of Arsenal F.C. and made his first team debut on 9 November 2022, becoming the second Estonian to feature for the Gunners after club's president Mart Poom.

After finishing first in the Estonian third-tier Esiliiga B in 2019, the club was promoted to Esiliiga. After the 2022 season, Vladimir Vassiljev became the manager of the club and Nõmme United set their sights on gaining promotion to Premium Liiga within the next three seasons.^[2] They did it in one, as the club finished the 2023 Esiliiga season in first place with 90 points. After the end of the season, Vassiljev left for abroad and Nõmme United appointed Finnishman Jani Sarajärvi as head coach for their debut season in the Estonian top flight.

Stadium

Nõmme United's home ground is Männiku Stadium which is part of their home base Männiku Football Center, located at Võidu 16, Nõmme, Tallinn. In addition to the natural grass ground, the complex also has an artificial turf football pitch (90 × 60m), upon which an air dome is installed during the winter months.^[3]

At winter and early spring months, Nõmme United play their home matches at Sportland Arena.

Players

Current squad

As of 8 March, 2024.^[4]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  EST Georg Mattias Lagus 2 DF  EST Kaarel Leppsalu 3 DF  EST Samuel Merilai 4 DF  EST Aleksandr Alteberg 5 DF  EST Alexander Bergman 6 MF  EST Mihkel Järviste 7 FW  UKR Mykhaylo Plokhotnyuk 8 MF  EST Bruno Vain 9 FW  EST Egert Õunapuu 10 FW  EST Henri Leoke 11 MF  EST Tristan Vendelin 12 GK  EST Marko Meerits

No. Pos. Nation Player 15 MF  EST Trevor Hint 18 MF  AZE Murad Velijev (on loan from Levadia) 19 MF  EST Robin Tiigiste 20 FW  EST Kevin Mätas 21 MF  UKR Oleksandr Musolitin 23 DF  EST Karl Läänelaid 28 DF  EST Steven Salmistu 30 MF  EST Markus Riisenberg 33 FW  EST Jevgeni Demidov 37 DF  SVK Jakub Luka (on loan from Ruzomberok) 66 MF  EST SKaspar Roomussaar

Personnel

Current technical staff Position Name Head coach Jani Sarajärvi Assistant coach Randin Rande Goalkeeping coach Kristjan Tamme Physiotherapist Kirke Kalde Management President Mart Poom Board member Ivar Vendelin Chief Executive Officer Martin Klasen

Managerial history Dates Name 2010–2012 Tarmo Rüütli 2013–2015 Erki Kesküla 2016–2022 Martin Klasen 2023 Vladimir Vassiljev 2024– Jani Sarajärvi

Honours

League

• Esiliiga
  • Winners (1): 2023
• Esiliiga B
  • Winners (1): 2019

Statistics

League and Cup

Season	Division	Pos	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Top Goalscorer	Estonian Cup	Notes
2000	V liiga E	2	20	14	6	0	54	16	+36	48	Ivar Sova (12)		as Eesti Telefoni SK
2001	IV liiga E	1	18	16	2	1	103	16	+87	47	Jaanus Juhalu (28)
2002	III liiga N	5	18	8	2	8	32	33	−1	26	Ivar Sova (10)
2003		3	18	11	4	3	55	28	+27	37	Ivar Sova Jaanus Juhalu (9)
2004		1	18	12	3	3	54	14	+40	39	Jaanus Juhalu (13)		as FC Elion
2005	II liiga S/W	3	28	16	4	8	67	51	+16	52	Ivar Sova (13)
2006		4	28	15	6	7	68	44	+22	51	Ivar Sova (22)		as FC Nõmme United
2007		9	26	10	1	15	72	84	−12	31	Ivar Sova (21)	Third round
2008		2	26	18	1	7	72	36	+36	55	Ivar Sova (25)	–
2009		1	26	18	4	4	100	31	+69	58	Ivar Sova (39)	Second round
2010		3	26	14	5	7	67	52	+15	47	Sander Lepik (20)	Fourth round
2011		7	26	13	2	11	55	56	−1	41	Alex Jelagin Raido Reinsalu (17)	Fourth round
2012		14	26	3	2	21	25	113	−88	11	Henri Rüütli Roland Mäe (5)	First round
2013		4	26	15	1	10	90	60	+30	46	Sander Lepik (25)	Second round
2014		9	26	9	1	15	69	75	−6	28	Sander Lepik (21)	Third round
2015		4	26	14	5	7	88	41	+47	47	Ander Ott Valge (26)	Second round
2016		3	26	19	3	4	131	38	+93	60	Kevin Mätas (49)	Fourth round
2017		1	26	23	2	1	158	18	+140	71	Mark Kolosov (52)	Second round
2018	Esiliiga B	5	36	17	9	10	100	57	+43	60	Pavel Fedorenko (20)	First round
2019		1	36	27	4	5	118	38	+80	85	Oliver Jürgens (28)	Second round
2020	Esiliiga	3	32	16	7	9	76	43	+33	55	Kevin Mätas (22)	Second round
2021		4	30	12	5	13	79	67	+12	41	Robi Saarma (28)	First round
2022		6	36	18	6	12	79	56	+23	60	Egert Õunapuu (36)	Third round
2023		1	36	28	6	2	114	29	+85	90	Egert Õunapuu (32)	Third round

References

External links

• Official website (in Estonian)