Pehrsson: We want to increase team quality and give more players a chance
The Estonian national football team faces two last opponents this year: Georgia on November 11 and St. Kitts and Nevis on November 17. Both matches will take place in Tallinn. Head coach Magnus Pehrsson has invited 26 players to the squad, although he said not all will have a chance to play.
“For me, it is also very very good that this time we have from the first game until the next game a couple of training sessions and that's a luxury for us really. And there everybody gets a chance to prove themselves to understand how we want to play and we will also have special focus on some things that we want to improve in the team,” Pehrsson said.
Only Ragnar Klavan, the team's captain, will leave the squad after the first game, as he is needed in his club team Augsburg in Germany.
Sergei Pareiko, who had a falling out with Pehrsson earlier in the year, is back in the team for a final game against St. Kitts and Nevis.
Two players in the squad yet to make their debut for the national team are Nikita Baranov and Rauno Sappinen, both recently crowned Estonian football league champions with FC Flora. The next two games could be their chance to shine.
In 2015, Estonia has so far played eight official matches, including six EURO 2016 qualifying games. Estonia has won three, drawn one and lost four matches. Estonia has scored six while letting in eight goals.
The games against Georgia and St. Kitts and Nevis will be shown live on ETV 2 and Kanal 12 respectively. Both start at 19:00 local time and will take place at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn.
The team for the two friendly matches are:
Goalkeepers (name, date of birth, club side, games for national team/goal)
Mihkel Aksalu (07.11.1984) – Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho (FIN) 20/0
Pavel Londak (14.05.1980) – FK Bodø/Glimt (NOR) 24/0
Marko Meerits (26.04.1992) – FC Emmen (NED) 3/0
*Sergei Pareiko (31.01.1977) – Tallinna FC Levadia 64/0
Defense
Nikita Baranov (19.08.1992) – Tallinna FC Flora 0/0
Alo Bärengrub (12.02.1984) – Nõmme Kalju FC 48/0
Enar Jääger (18.11.1984) – Vålerenga Fotball (NOR) 117/0
Markus Jürgenson (09.09.1987) – Tallinna FC Flora 5/0
Gert Kams (25.05.1985) – Tallinna FC Flora 39/2
Ragnar Klavan (30.10.1985) – FC Augsburg (GER) 107/3
Artur Pikk (05.03.1993) – Tallinna FC Levadia 8/0
Midfield and attack
Rauno Alliku (02.03.1990) – Tallinna FC Flora 8/0
Ilja Antonov (05.12.1992) – Tallinna FC Levadia 20/0
Aleksandr Dmitrijev (18.02.1982) – Tallinna FC Infonet 94/0
Andre Frolov (18.04.1988) – Tallinna FC Flora 1/0
Maksim Gussev (20.07.1994) – Tallinna FC Flora 1/0
Ken Kallaste (31.08.1988) – Nõmme Kalju FC 20/0
Joel Lindpere (05.10.1981) – Nõmme Kalju FC 104/7
Siim Luts (12.03.1989) – Tallinna FC Levadia 24/1
Karol Mets (16.05.1993) – Viking Stavanger (NOR) 21/0
Sander Puri (07.05.1988) – Sligo Rovers (IRL) 61/3
Ats Purje (03.08.1985) – Nõmme Kalju FC 54/7
Andreas Raudsepp (13.12.1993) – Tallinna FC Levadia 2/0
Rauno Sappinen (23.01.1996) - Tallinna FC Flora 0/0
Sergei Zenjov (20.04.1989) – Gabala FK (AZE) 48/9
Konstantin Vassiljev (16.08.1984) – Jagiellonia Białystok (POL) 83/20
Editor: J.M. Laats