First Estonian men's football team manager after restoration of independence dies
Former Estonian national football team manager Uno Piir has died. He was 95.
Piir was the first national team manager following the restoration of independence, and held the post 1992–1993.
He also led the now-defunct JK Tallinna Sadam team to win the domestic trophy, in 1996.
During the Soviet era Piir was long-term coach at Tallinna Norma, 1962 to 1989, and won the Estonian SSR championship five times and the cup six times.
He was also later active at the Tallinn football school (Tallinna jalgpallikool), Nõmme Kalju FC, and also with Finnish club Valkeakosken Koskenpojat, in the second-tier Ykkönen league.
Piir was born in Tallinn in 1929 and as a player served under the former international Ralf Veidemann in the Kalev youth team, later coached by Elmar Saar.
He continued with the then Tallinna JK Dünamo, winning two consecutive Estonian SSR titles in 1949–1950.
Five years later, he triumphed with JK Tallinna Kalev.
He was honored by the EJL several times, getting the organization's silver medal in 2004 and gold a decade later. He was honored with a plaque for his lifetime achievements in 2019.
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Editor: Maarja Värv, Andrew Whyte
