No more years of Hurt for Flora as coach steps down after Champions League loss
Estonian Meistriliiga champions Flora Tallinn announced on Thursday that Norbert Hurt has stepped down as the club's head coach. Hurt, who took over from Jürgen Henn in December, leaves the club after a 0-5 home defeat against Slovenian champions NK Celje. He will be replaced by U-21 coach Taavi Viik.
"I took this decision because I have failed to get the first team to perform as I would have liked," Norbert Hurt told the club's press service. "I would like to thank all the players and staff for their contribution over this period of just over six months."
Hurt, who also served as the club's head coach from 2013-16, took over first team duties again in December following the departure of Jürgen Henn. Henn is now coach of the Estonian men's national team.
This season, with Hurt at the helm, defending Estonian Meistriliiga champions Flora have won half of their 20 games played, and are currently third in the league table on 36 points. Arch-rivals FCI Levadia however, are already 15 points ahead and remain strong favorites to clinch the title.
On Wednesday, Flora lost 5-0 at home to Slovenian champions NK Cejle in the first leg of the first qualifying round of the Champions League, leaving them with little hope of making it through.
"I would like to thank Norbert and his team for their diligent and dedicated work in coaching the first team and building a new squad. Things went largely as we expected, but with the wisdom of hindsight we have to admit that we couldn't foresee everything and make it all work," said FC Flora Tallinn President Pelle Pohlak.
Hurt will be replaced by Taavi Viik, who until now has been head coach of the club's U-21 side.
"Things happened very quickly. It's every Estonian coach's dream to coach a team of FC Flora's caliber," said Flora's new head coach Taavi Viik. "The first training session went well, the players welcomed me very warmly. At FC Flora, the only goal can be to win."
Pelle Pohlak wished Viik and his new coaching team every success. "Our goals as a club are high, but what's just as important for us is the way of being successful. It's therefore great to see that the coaches of the first team have once again come from inside the club. In addition to using players of Estonian nationality, this is another important principle we want to follow."
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Editor: Anders Nõmm, Michael Cole
