The gross monthly salary of a trained sports coach is €1,400, half of which came from the state budget in 2024, while the other half was paid by sports clubs. Last Friday, however, hundreds of clubs received a letter from the Sports Training and Information Foundation (Spordikoolituse ja -Teabe Sihtasutuse) telling them that the state will only have enough money to pay 45 percent of that amount next year. The move means sports clubs have a choice between cutting back on coaching to reduce their own costs or seeking additional funds, according to a report by ERR show "Aktuaalne kaamera."

"This situation is certainly unpleasant, first of all as it comes at such short notice. And if we are talking about Tallinna Kalev Football Club, then we are talking about 20 coaches, and there will be a hole of around €10,000 in our club's budget," said former Liverpool FC defender Ragnar Klavan, who is now president of Tallinna Kalev Football Club.

According to Klavan, the situation is complicated by the fact that the decision to make cuts came to light at a time when the club's budget has already been decided, making it difficult to find new solutions. Klavan does not see a cut to coaches' salaries as a possibility. Tarmo Hein, CEO of the Keila basketball school, is of the same opinion, as coaches' pay has remained at the same level for three years despite rapid inflation.

While Klavan hopes a solution can be found without raising training fees, in Keila the monthly fee will rise by €10. While the Ministry of Culture was able to allocate around €12.3 million for coaches' fees this year, the figure for 2025 is closer to €11.8 million.

"We are facing a four percent cut, but this measure will allow us to use reimbursed subsidies. For various reasons, the beneficiary has had to repay the grant, either of their own volition or due to misusing the grant, and we hope to use this to make up for the cuts next year," said Kaarel Nestor, adviser to the Ministry of Culture's sports department.

Sports clubs have until Friday, December 20 to find the required extra money. Failing that, the Sports Training and Information Foundation recommends reducing coaches' weekly workloads, as that will also reduce clubs' own costs. The choice clubs now face is whether the cuts remain on paper only or if their coaches will be forced to settle for less pay. This year, 440 sports clubs received subsidies in order to pay around 1,500 coaches. Around 47,000 children play sports at these clubs.

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