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Nõmme Kalju 2010
Ambitious Nõmme Kalju
Nõmme Kalju, which was established in 1923, is a football club that has played since 2008 in Estonia’s highest division – the Meistriliiga. The club’s ambition is to win the Estonian Championship and to make a name in European football.
This season is turning out to be the best in the club’s history. With outstanding play, the club is striving to win the gold medal by competing against the defending champion, Tallinn’s FC Flora, which has dominated the Meistriliiga (Premier League) for a long time. Kalju has yet to win a medal, but during the four seasons since a professional football team was formed, Kalju has played twice in the qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. The team’s results this season are better than ever before. In a short time, the respected head coach, Igor Prins, has developed the team into a united fighting force, along with Brazilian Fredo Getulio Aurelio, who, as a coach, guided Brazil’s U-17 team to a world championship.
A team with a new face
Before the start of the season, the Nõmme football club added many well-known players from home and abroad.
Alain Garcia Gutierrez, who played with the Cuban youth team, and Alo Bärengrub, central defender with the Estonian national team and who has also played in the Norway’s top division, were added to the defensive line. During the summer, a young promising Italian defender, Marco Bianchi, joined the club along with Jorge Manuel Ferreira, a Portuguese player who has played in the top division in Portugal and Slovenia.
“I have adapted well to Estonia and we have a good team. We are improving every day and I think that Nõmme Kalju is individually the best team in the Premier League. Our goal is to take the league title and I will do everything in my power to achieve this,” said the multifaceted defender Alain Garcia Gutierrez.
“Nõmme Kalju has become the club that has brought new winds of change to Estonian football, by seriously battling for a medal. Our team is a good combination of foreign and local players. Our team spirit is good and we have improved game after game. One of the keys to the team’s success is the experienced head coach Igor Prins, who gets the best from the players and motivates us to work towards great goals,” Alo Bärengrub said.
Among the new faces in the defensive midfielders are Finn Kaarlo Verneri Rantanen and four-time Estonian champion Eino Puri. In addition, two Japanese players have joined the squad – the hard-working Hiroyuki Mitsuyama, who has a strong kick, and Hidetoshi Wakui, who has become one of the team’s key players, and whose outstanding speed and leadership have attracted attention from the broader public.
“Things are going well for me in Estonia and I haven’t had any problems. I get along with everyone and everything has been positive. I know my role in the team. Nõmme Kalju’s level of game is very good. We have a strong team and good substitutes for every position,” the Finn Kaarlo Verneri Rantanen said.
Nõmme Kalju has added two exceptional players – Tarmo Neemelo and Kristen Viikmäe – in attack along with high scorer Jüri Jevdokimov. Both forwards have made a name in the Estonian national team. Viikmäe even has 114 caps and 15 goals to his credit for the national team! This season, the two experienced forwards have formed the most feared attacking duo, having scored many important goals between them! Halfway through the season, the fast Manucho, from the Ivory Coast, who returned from being out on loan, was added to the duo.
The team captain is Sergei Terehhov, who has 95 international caps to his name. Kert Kütt, who has one of the most reliable pair of hands in the league and Oliver Konsa, who has experience playing on the Estonian national team, also play with Nõmme Kalju. In defence, experienced Mikk Haavistu is also worth mentioning.
The squad also includes many former and current members of the youth national team, such as defensive wingers Andres Koogas and Ken Kallaste and Kalju’s goal-scoring machine from last season – Jüri Jevdokimov. In addition, up-and-coming players include defenders like Dmitri Kovtunovitš and Martin Tšegodajev and defensive midfielder Denis Vnukov. The reserve goalkeeper is Daniil Savitski who also has experience in the youth national team.
Great ambitions
During the current season, Nõmme Kalju qualified for the first preliminary UEFA Europa League round, where a tough battle was fought with top Finnish club Honka Espoo. However, due to a lack of European experience, Kalju lost to their opponents, though marginally. Kalju is planning greater deeds in the Europa series next season.
The club’s greatest objective is to move to a new stadium in 2015 and to increase the number of Kalju Nõmme’s spectators – currently, they already have the most spectators in the league. The club’s fan club, The Pink Panthers, supports the team at every game, although the greatest support is evident at the home games held at Hiiu Stadium, where the fans enthusiastically cheer for Kalju.
One of Nõmme Kalju’s most striking features is the organisation of large advertising campaigns in the city. “No other team that has risen to the Premier League has been spoken about as much as this year’s newcomer, Nõmme Kalju. Their phenomenon includes an unprecedented outdoor advertising campaign, which has replaced high fashion brands on the city’s rotating outdoor advertising pillars with Nõmme Kalju emblems on a pink background”, the daily newspaper Eesti Päevaleht wrote about the club few years ago.
In September of this year, Nõmme Kalju organised a huge football festival together with adidas, which attracted thousands of football fans and where children played football and had a good time with their families. Several concerts were included in the Kalju Football Festival and many famous Estonian artists were in attendance. The event garnered lots of media attention and the event turned out to be more successful than expected. No other football club in Estonia has organised anything comparable. The day culminated in an historic 3:0 victory over Nõmme Kalju’s main rival, FC Flora.
Youth activities have become very important for Kalju. The Nõmme Kalju youth have succeeded in both local and international tournaments, where they have achieved great victories. In addition, the club’s youth can also be constantly seen on the pitch wearing the blue shirt of the Estonian youth team. The club’s youth system is very ambitious and is developing in regard to additional groups and the level of play.
Impossible Is Nothing – Join Kalju!
Newly-promoted Kalju eager to aim for new highs
In 2008 Estonian football saw the emerge of a new top-flight club – after winning the promotion play-off from Esiliiga Nõmme Kalju has established itself as a reckonable force, shaken the Meistriliiga (Premiership League) ranks and is ready to fight for glory also in TrioBet Baltic League. During many years Estonian football has had four top clubs – FC Flora, FC Levadia, FC TVMK and Narva Trans. This year Nõmme Kalju has set this under serious threat.
As a newcomer who still played in the fourth strongest division just four years ago FC Kalju started its Meistriliiga-season with a strong marketing campaign both on and off the pitch. Besides using advertising boards in the city to attract spectators to their home games, creating a well-equipped fan club and choosing the popular Pink Panther as their mascot, the club was also active in the sporting side.
Kalju loaned former TVMK player Ingemar Teever from Swedish side Östers IF, strengthened their midfield with long-time international player Liivo Leetma and caught the headlines by signing Brazilians Felipe Nunes, Alan Arruda and Salvador Jesus Vasques. Many other well-known players joined the club as well.
In addition, the head coach of Kalju, hot-tempered Brazilian Fredo Getulio Aurelio stated openly that the new club has come to stay and to win.
The club’s ambitious president, an entertainment and marketing businessman Kuno Tehva expressed great willingness to work hard for success. And when you add the benefits of a small and cozy home ground of Hiiu stadium one’s expectations were as high as they could be.
In the beginning of the season Kalju blasted one bomb after another. In the first round they made a 1:1 away draw with title-contenders FC Flora, then recorded a 3:0 victory over fellow newcomers Sillamäe Kalev, shocked FC TVMK by a 1:0 away win and flew past Pärnu Vaprus 3:1.
Then Kalju suffered a 1:2 away defeat from mid-table club Tartu Maag Tammeka, but stole the attention again by an amazing 2:2 away draw against title-holders FC Levadia. After a 1:1 draw with Narva Trans and a goalless match against Viljandi Tulevik, Kalju ended the first set of games with a 2:1 triumph against FC Tallinna Kalev. All this saw a newcomer go from success to success with impressive draws and victories against top teams and very high attendances at their home games.
After 26 rounds Kalju is lying fifth in Meistriliiga with only 2 points behind Narva Trans and 9 points short TVMK. “I am extremely happy with our season,” says Kalju’s president Kuno Tehva. “If we end our season 3rd or 4th it would be a big plus, but we are already looking to the future.”
In any case Nõmme Kalju will be a part of TrioBet Baltic League next season. Tehva sees it a great challenge for the club. “We want to make another step forward next season and be a club who competes for top spots both in Estonia and in the Baltics. Of course, everything depends on our budget, but we are working on it. We are enthusiastic and eager to develop our club, we have a great will to aim for high results,” Tehva explains. Kalju’s president is optimistic about the TrioBet Baltic League’s next season. “I think that the new system looks very positive. It should encourage all the teams to always play their best eleven and make the competition interesting for everybody.”
Did you know?
Nõmme is a district of Tallinn with a population of 35 043. Building of Nõmme at the southern border of the city was started in the end of the last century. At first it developed as an independent city, in 1940 it was linked to Tallinn. Up to today the prevailing type of building is single family houses, which are located on sandy areas covered with pine groves. Because of the low density of buildings it is also known as the Nõmme forest city. There are almost no industrial enterprises. Even though the district has some problems, it is still one of the most prestigious ones in Tallinn. (www.tallinn.ee)
Profile – Nõmme Kalju
Established: 1923, re-established 1997 Stadium: Hiiu (artificial turf, capacity 500) President: Kuno Tehva Head coach: Fredo Getulio Aurelio Captain: Rene Kaas
Colours: white, black, pink Fan club: the Pink Panthers Famous players: Maksim Smirnov (39 games and 2 goals for Estonia), Liivo Leetma (36), Indro Olumets (32/2), Aleksander Saharov (25/1), Ingemar Teever (24/4). Notable: JK Kalju has its own newspaper called Jalgpallisõnumid. It is distributed together with the newspaper of Nõmme district and has a circulation of 20 000. Home page: www.jkkalju.ee
By Mihkel Uiboleht, Tallinn 2008
Kalju may meet Fulham in the UEFA Europa League qualification.
On the 20th of June in the headquarters of UEFA in Nyon, Switzerland, the opponents for the first qualifying rounds will be drawn. Among others, Nõmme Kalju will also find out against whom they are going to play. The president of the club, Kuno Tehva, will also go to the land of the bells to witness the draw.
The biggest possible opponent will be of course the big club of England and the 2010 year European League finalist Fulham who made it to the international club competition because of the “Fair Play” game. They finished last season in the league on the eight position.
It is also possible to meet with estonians who play in the clubs abroad. For example the duo of estonians Enar Jääger and Sander Post belong to the Aalesund players list and the game leader of our national team Konstantin Vassiljev plays in Luka Koper.
As the head coach of Nõmme Kalju, Igor Prins, already told in a previous interview to the clubs homepage, the competition is taken very seriously. „Nõmme Kalju takes UEFA Europa League competitions very seriously. We will definately try our best because it is a very important game,“ said Prins.
„We will hope for the two most positive scenarios for us in the draw – the first would be an equal match and a real possibility to get further, the second would be an attractive opponent such as Fulham. The hope to get further should of course also stay if we play against someone like Fulham,“ commented the draw the president of the club Kuno Tehva.
Nõmmes team will start in the first qualifying round of the European League where the opponent for us will be drawn from the following teams:
Fulham (England)
Elfsborg (Sweden)
Tromsø (Norway)
St Patrick’s Athletic (Ireland)
Qarabağ (Aserbaidzhan)
Jagiellonia Białystok (Poland)
Rabotnički (Macedonia)
Aalesund (Norway)
Spartak Trnava (Slovakia)
Dinamo Tbilisi (Georgia)
Honka (Finland)
Varaždin (Croatia)
Minsk (Belarus)
Olimpi Rustavi (Georgia)
Rad (Serbia)
Häcken (Sweden)
Široki Brijeg (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
KR Reykjavík (Iceland)
The New Saints (Wales)
Renova (Macedonia)
Luka Koper (Slovenia)
Budućnost Podgorica (Montenegro)
Birkirkara (Malta)
Paks (Hungary)
Ferencváros (Hungary)
The first game of Kalju will take place on the 30th of June and the rematch will be on the 7th of July. Kaljus home-field game will be held on the A. Le Coq Arena, in Tallinn.
Kalju will meet FC Honka Espo in the first qualifying round of UEFA Europa League!
Few days ago in the headquarters of UEFA in Nyon, Switzerland the opponent for Nõmme Kalju in the UEFA Europa League was drawn. By the will of fate it was finnish club FC Honka Espoo!
Honka should not be unknown to one player in Kalju because he played there in 2006 and scored there one goal in six matches. The football player who we are talking about is of course Sergei Terehhov!
Honka finished last season in The Finnish Premier League in the forth position similarly to Nõmme Kalju. In the ongoing season they are currently holding sixth position.
Our northern neighbours started last season in The European League from the second qualifying round where they won the Wales club Bangor City 3:0, but in the third round finns were forced to give in to the Azerbaidzhan team Qabarag with the final score 1:3.
Kalju was last time in The European League in 2009/10 season when players had to give in dramatically in the first qualifying round in Latvia to Dinaburg with 1:2 and as the rematch was played without goals the latvians could move forward.
Head coatch Igor Prins comments: „I’m very satisfied with the draw. I believe that we have a chance and it went well in every bit: the opponent is close to us and an equal match. It’s always good to play the first game abroad and then try to play well at home. I don’t know much about the opponent… They are on the sixth position in The League and the team is quite young. We will prepare for the upcoming match with good care and try to be fresh for the important game.“
Kaljus first game will take place on the 30th of June on a stadium called Tapiolan Urheilupuisto in Finland that hosts 5000 fans and the rematch will take place on the 7th of July on A. Le Coq Arena.
Find more information about the other European League pairs from here!
Kalju is on it’s way to UEFA Europa League
Nõmme Kalju, who ended last season on forth place in Estonian Main League (Meistriliiga), will start again with Europa League games. Kalju owes a big thanks to Narva Trans, who defeated Sillamäe Kalev in a difficult cup game, which ended with penalties and by that gave Kalju place in Europa League.
Draw for UEFA Europa League first qualifying round will take place on June 20th in Nyon, Switzerland, where UEFA headquarter is located, there will football club Nõmme Kalju get to know, who will be their first opponent.
“Nõmme Kalju takes Europa League very seriously. As it’s really important games, we do our best to play well,” stressed out head coach Igor Prints, the importance of Europa League to Nõmme Kalju. “Our strong side is team spirit. If we get our team energy up, then we will get the expected results. We do have some small flaws, but I believe we can fix them and show a good quality in Europa League.”
Kalju’s last Europa League experience is from season 2009/10, when Nõmme Kalju had to admit Latvian Dinaburg strength 1:2 at the first qualifying round. The second game, which ended with an even score 0:0 let Latvians to the second round.
Kalju first game will take place on June 30th and the second one July 7th. Kalju home gave will be hold at the A. Le Coq Arena.
Nõmme Kalju President, Kuno Tehva promises to shake Estonian football
“What we have done in football marketing over the last year is actually embarrassingly little. If so little can achieve so much, what would happen if it would be done seriously and systematically, and spend some money?”
Kuno Tehva, the chairman of the Nõmme Kalju board, promises to make unprecedented effort with the champions league club during the new season that would fill the tribunes with crowds. As a successful businessman, he does not think of staying in the league, but reaches for higher goals instead.
During the interview in Stereo Lounge that belongs to Tehva, he talks widely about the fate and the plans of the club as well as general problems of Estonian football, especially marketing.
He illustrates thorough discussions with colorful examples and the interview elongates to nearly one and a half hour. Due to that we will bring the interview to the readers in two parts – in today`s section the main discussion will be about general problems, and the second part will be more explicitly about subjects concerning Kalju.
Would you, first of all, tell about yourself? What kind of a man are you and how did you get into football?
Let`s put it this way that my arrival to football was quite accidental. When I was young, I trained with the Lõvid for a few years under Ubakivi (Roman Ubakivi – edit.). I`ve trained with Ints (Indro Olumets – edit.) and all the other boys for a few years and I know them all very well.
After playing with the Lõvid, I also played in a team Seveni, which later became MC Tallinn. After I left they even reached to either Premiere or Champions League once. I played there out of interest and for fun, but it was still a strict USSR period. At the beginning of the 1990s, life took me to America, where I stayed for seven years. When I came back to Estonia I played in such fourth or fifth league team like Rõõba, for fun. At some point, and I do not even know how, I ended up in a situation where I found myself at the same table with Uno Piir (former national team head coach), who was dealing with the development of Nõmme Kalju. For some incomprehensible reasons I was there too and one thing lead to another and somehow we managed to unite the two clubs. Then it quietly started, I was there helping and playing.
When was it when you joined Kalju?
I think it was approximately eight years ago.
And you were the leader from the beginning
Not a leader at all, more like the team captain. The board was Uno Piir and Anton Siht. Hiiu stadium did not exist back then, and hard work was done to make it come into being. It had been negotiated with the city for years. When it finally and actually came into being, hope evolved that there would be a stadium edifice and it felt like there is some kind of progress and perspective. Even I don’t know exactly how it happened, but during the time I was helping the club I acquired a kind of leading role. At some point I was proposed to join the board and then the board chairman’s position. That’s just how things go, when the snowball starts to roll, it rolls.
Do the stadium and the stadium edifice belong to Kalju?
No, they belong to the city, but Kalju has done much for it’s coming into being and for finding money for it. We did the majority of lobby-work and it has given results. As we are the first team of the district, we have some perks here. We have done so much for the development of the stadium and the stadium edifice that we have certain advantages and price concessions.
You can basically call it your home?
Absolutely. It is considered as ours and we have preferences there. We hold the time benefits and are prior to the others.
Of course, we have problems even today because we can’t very well forecast the growth and development because it has been greater than logic has let us think. We already have problems with stadium times and we are slowly growing out of it. We have many thoughts at the moment and it is not out of question that in the next few years we reach the point where we start to build our own stadium and indoor arena.
In Champions League, are you allowed to play on Hiiu artificial turf?
Few year ago the cover was removed and replaced with a hi-tech artificial turf, which is really soft. Kalju has developed a serious identity and it is such a domiciliary club that I believe that for the sake of football it is not beneficial to destroy what has been developed here. The highest leaders and major specialists of the Football Union, managed by Aivar Pohlak, have seen it and given hope that we will be met half way. Artificial grass is like, how should I put it … like skis! There are different kinds of skis – there are staves and kind of super-skis. And it’s the same with artificial turf. I’ve leg bone fractures and played on very bad artificial covers and the reaction has always been “damn artificial grass,” but I have been in Hiiu for a long time and I can say that it is not a problem there. I think that this artificial grass is better than some medium-quality real grass. It is good and I believe that it carries out just fine.
Do you invest your money into Kalju?
Yes, a lot.
How much of the total budget?
I guess, this year it might be about a quarter.
Don’t you feel sorry about the money?
I have many businesses that have derived from hobbies. Club Privé for example has also been derived from a hobby, as well as festivals, concerts – these businesses have all been hobbies. If you have a hobby that develops into a business, then you’re a happy person. You don’t need to watch the clock that it reaches six and you can go home. For me it does not make a difference – I can e-mail people at 2 o’clock in the morning and I enjoy it. It’s the same with Kalju, I don’t read money when I’m dealing with it. For years we did it with only our own forces and we are just lucky that very businesslike and progressive people have met in the board of Nõmme Kalju. They all represent different areas in life and they all seem to think the same way; not wanting anything else from it than just a positive emotion that carries us on. And due to that we can’t do it poorly, because if we do, we lose the positive emotion, and then the whole point of doing it disappears. This is the one and very simple reason why we have to make a big step forward every year and why we bring in foreigners, and why we promote it – to get this emotion and that is, in my opinion, very important in football.
Is Kalju strong enough as a club, that if you, for example have to leave, it could continue on the same level?
I think that there are no irreplaceable persons. Right now we have a cadre of people who do it knuckle down. However, some opportunities proceed from me, because I’ve been in the show business for more then ten years. For a person who is not competent in that area, putting some things into practice would mean a lot of uncertain and expensive activities, whereas to me they are quite simple.
I do it with ease, besides my duty time. What we have done in marketing football over the last year is actually very little. It might seem as if Kalju is doing a lot, but it’s actually awfully, shamefully little. If there is such a result with so little effort, what would happen if it would be done seriously and systematically and spending some money? Then the situation that people have little interest in football and tribunes stay under-crowded would not be possible. I’m sure that it is just work that hasn’t been done. Absolutely sure.
So next year full speed ahead?
Absolutely, my plan is to motivate other clubs and federation also, I’m not doing it for Kalju only. I want Kalju to be a role model for other clubs, who are still doing nothing. For Kalju, things can only get better when others are active, as well. I want to so-to-say pull others into the same boat to create confrontation.
You are also connected with the EJL top-class football committee. For you, is the development visible?
The development is absolutely there, but in my opinion the roundtable should be taken to the next level. Very many of those involved do it next to their main occupation and perhaps the interval of the meetings is not frequent enough. It should be more intense.
I’ve been involved with it for a couple of years and I remember that the first time I was there I had strange impression, because several representatives of the clubs oppose each other and there was no communication. At that moment it seemed like a waste of time. At this point we must thank Are Altraja who, as the committee’s leader, has managed to bring people together and made it clear that we are all after the same thing. Rivalry and exchanging blows will definitely not promote Estonian football. I believe he has succeeded and almost everyone in it is interested in doing it and progress there is visible. What is missing in Estonian football is that we have a lot of football specialists – everybody knows how to play football, how to arrange football, how to arrange the work of the judges, what the stadium has to be like – but no one has managed to make football and our leagues into a product. The marketing side has been non-existent and that is a very important side of football. We as Nõmme Kalju have been tagged with many labels like FC Hollywood but if we take a look at world football, it is all entertainment. When there are hundreds and thousands of people on the arena, it is all show and entertainment. Football is entertainment. It is hard work, but 50% of it is entertainment. When there is no crowd on the stadium, there is no money, no sponsorship and no public interest.
So what is the problem? Top-class football committee is working, there is progress, but …
One thing, for sure, is that we are lacking tradition. Everyone likes to say this and that traditions are not born overnight. The second reason is that competent marketing people haven’t dealt with football.
Many think that the level of the Champions League corresponds with the public interest. With the standard being to low …
I think this is silly. This is really silly. This is Estonia’s level, I don’t think it is so low; this is the top level in Estonia, but that doesn’t mean that football, as a game, is not interesting. One could find an interesting and opposing game even in the third league. I’ve come all the way from the fourth league to the Champions League and seen the problems and I say that it is not an issue of level. It is an issue of marketing and selling.
As Estonia is so small it is very easy to sell something here if you deal with it and create confrontation. I’ll give you an example on, let’s say, boxing. There is Holyfield, there is Tyson, they are weighed; both have promoters, men hustle and say ugly things to one another. Arises discussion, arises war. Behind the curtain the guys might be best friends, but publicly there is a confrontation – arenas are sold out, TV forecasts are sold out, the crowd runs like a madman, everything is working. That is entertainment!
It has to be sold; it has to be made in to a product. In every FC there have to be local stars. People don’t want to see some team X with unknown players – no one cares about it. What they really want to see is what we really have – our local stars in each local team.
Maybe the clubs are a bit of afraid that they don’t have enough opportunities, but many of them do. It is simple mathematics that if you are a big club you hire yourself a marketing specialist, hire him! The simple mathematics shows that the number of people who come to the stadium as a result of his work will pay his fee. It is as simple as that and I see it happen with Nõmme Kalju and I just don’t understand why other clubs don’t do that.
Do you have any information on how many clubs actually do have marketing directors? Flora has, you of course …
I don’t know, we have no marketing person; we do it ourselves. We are still a small club that is growing. We do it ourselves and don’t get paid for it but we know how to do it. We do it better than ordinary because I live in that business and that is my area of expertise. We have a lot of partners and good friends in media, good partners in other areas also. And everyone supports us, because some guys came who started dealing with football, their eyes shining and just doing it. We are independent, started from a clean sheet and we want to get along with everyone, that’s why we receive support. That’s why we are successful.
Give and example, what are you going to push next year?
We greatly respect the development of our fans. To my surprise even we have gathered a loyal group of people who come to the stadium not just for fun, but who really care about it. The beginning of fan action has evolved and we will definitely invest into it. Maybe we have a little advantages, also, because I own the nightclub Prive and via have emerged some 30 000-40 000 people who have registered on our website and who visit our club.
But something more specific …
We are very active in social media, Facebook for example. Also we have big out-door advertisement campigns and radio promotion for Nõmme Kalju, thanks to our media sponsors. Also what we are doing extensively and now consistently is our newspaper “Nõmme Kalju Football News”. We are very active in district of Nõmme where Kalju is from. We are goint on regular bases to schools, kindergardens etc. to promote Kalju and football in general. We want to reach to the point where for the inhabitants of Nõmme, Saturday is the game-day, not just a Saturday… It should be as a holy mission for everyone in Nõmme to come to the stadium and support Kalju, the club establisehd back in 1923.
More about marketing – are you happy with the Football League actions? Should it be their task at all?
I can’t say that I’m unhappy with it because it is a new area for them, but my proposal is that as it is their product, their league, they should definitely take on a bigger role in marketing. My opinion is that the “Meistriliiga” Football League must take a bigger role and take action to promote their product. In addition to that, all the clubs who are participateing in the league should put in an equal effort as well. We need to do it together and professionally. We can not take shortcuts in marketing of the league, we must make a difference and give results. Kalju wants to become Estonian Champions in football and we also want to be the best in marketing!
What year was it that you declared you become champions?
We still have two years time, but maybe we can acheave this allready this season.
We must hope and work hard for it!
So with what goal do you head for the Champions League “Meistriliiga”?
There is only one goal, to win!
Intervew was made by soccernet.ee
Delfis online interview – the president of Nõmme Kalju, Kuno Tehva, answers to the readers’ questions.
The president of Nõmme Kalju, Kuno Tehva, answered to Delfis readers questions.
Tehva said that Kalju will move in two years to the stadium of Tallinn Technical University. In addition he hopes that some Estonian clubs could reach the Champions League in the next three years. They also plan to work to get the audience to the tribunes. „If we remain in the competition for the medals, then it is realistic that there will be about 500 people average watching our games“ reckoned Tehva. „A few years ago the average was about 450 so I believe that 500 is now easily possible.“ For the derbis we can pull up to 2000 people if we work hard for it. Tehva is satisfied that Kalju could hire Kristen Viikmäe (former Estonian National Team striker). „I’m sure that by the end of the season he will be in the first top of the Champions League scorers,“ said Tehva. With a smile Tehva remembers that a few years ago in the game of Kalju – Tallinn Flora the fans of the visitors hanged the mascot panther of Nõmme Kalju. „Kalju won the game from 0:2 loss to 3:2, so if I had been instead of them I would also have wanted to hang someone,“ said Tehva. „Good that it was just a mascot.“ Tehva also told that so far Kalju has made end meet. „The budget of the club this year is 350 000 euros,“ calculated Tehva. „During the eight years in action Kalju has never been in disprofit and we hope that it stays this way.“ Tehva has big ambitions about organizing exhibition games. Together with the sponsor of the club, Unibet, they hope to organize a tournament where all the other clubs that Unibet sponsors would also take part including FC Valencia etc.
Kuno Tehvas answers to the readers of Delfi:
It is good to see that Kalju goes in the end of the season to play games abroad (e.g. to Portugal). When could we hope or do you think it’s realistic to think that some more well-known clubs (e.g. Sheffield Utd) could also be invited here for the exhibition games?
We have been talking about this opportunity with the head sponsor of Kalju, the Unibet, who supports football in very many countries. We have an idea to organize in Estonia the tournament on Unibet and Nõmme Kalju where all the clubs that are connected to Unibet could take part of from which the most well-known are CF Valencia and FC Liverpool. I believe that this idea can come to life but I can’t promise yet when could these exhibition games or tournament happen exactly.
Would Kalju be interested in hiring Tarmo Kink? It is a well-known fact that he doesn’t get enough playtime in England.
Of course we would like to hire Kink. He is and excellent player and a good friend. But I still believe that Tarmo will also get his chance in England and it is more important for his carrier to succeed there.
When will Nõmme Kalju build itself a football stadium?
Today we have a good will agreement between the city of Tallinn, The Tallinn Technical University (TTÜ) and Nõmmes football club Kalju that the stadium of The Tallinn Technical University, with the address Raja tn. 4a, will be reconstructed. If everything goes according to the plans then they will start to set up to the ground in 2012 and to build the stadium house a year later. The reconstruction project of Nõmme Kalju – TTÜ stadium has had a lot of support and we are very optimistic that it will also be finished.
Do you have any new sponsors? You need money more now than you did before.
Yes, there are some new supporters for Nõmme Kalju but I can’t say that we needed a lot more money than we did the previous year.
How big is the budget of Nõmme Kalju and are you in profit or disprofit? As a bystander one might think that you are in a loss and that makes me worry for how long will the club last. Please be straightforward with your answer not just say that we meet ends and we will last for ever. Thank you!
The budget for the club this year is 350 000 euros. During the eight years in action Kalju has never been in disprofit and we hope that it stays this way.
Do you understand that you owe much of your success to good work with youngsters? You can see it also in case of the bigger clubs like Flora and Levadia. How many are there youth football groups and coaches now in Nõmme?
Yes, we do understand. The work with youngsters is very important in Kalju and we pay much attention to it. Right now there are eleven youth groups for different ages and for boys and for girls in Kalju. There are seven coaches who are systematically training the young people and also a very experienced youth work leader. I believe that the growth of Kalju young footballers is the fastest in Estonia and despite of the youth of the club we have been quite successful. Of course we also have room for development but we do always the best we can.
What do you think about that Aivar Pohlak as the president of The Estonian Football Association takes to his club loans worth of millions without percentage from the budget of Estonian Football Association?
I don’t take up a standpoint at this question. In my opinion the law says that legal persons can’t take or give loans without percentage.
Do you think that the managing board of The Estonian Football Association needs new people?
If there are people who could bring new breathing to the Estonian football world then why not.
When could an Estonian football club reach at least the first group stage of The Champions League?
Levadia was not far from it when Igor Prins was coaching them. One could believe that this miracle might happen in the next three years. Maybe even with Kalju…
Before this season, there were a lot of foreigners with a questionable past that came through Kalju and a lot of them didn’t justify themselves. How did they get to Kalju, how much did you know about their former past and what have you learned from it?
I don’t really agree with the statement that these players were suspicious. There are players with different qualities and different past in sport field who can show themselves from different sides in different situations. I believe that many from these foreign players that you are talking about are/were in a very good form for the Estonian Champions League. For example Tiago Sala got after leaving from Estonia a contract in Brasilia “with his suspicious past” in a big club called Corinthians where are also Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo etc… Bruno Gomes is in Katar and makes quite good money there, Mitsuyama is back in Kalju. The question was not so much about the players but about the agent with a „suspicious past“ who represented the footballers and because of whom we gave up using the services of these players. One must understand that the footballers don’t grow on trees and we can make our choices considering the opportunities we have and the players we can get. Kalju has had to make something good out of nothing over the years and in my opinion we have succeeded in doing that well. Kalju is not an expensive hobby of a rich man. We don’t have a man like Abramovich who could just give free hands to the trainers to buy players. We must deal with lesser circumstances and of course there is a bigger risk because of this that some players may not justify themselves. For the moment we have learned to trust our coaches who complete the team and take the responsibility for choosing the players. I believe that in Kalju today the amount of foreign players and our quality is fit.
Who is the higher-paid player in Kalju and in which range are his salaries?
There is no such phenomenon as a higher-paid player in Kalju. The salaries of the more experienced players are more or less the same and they’re not very big. Football players do not make very much money in Estonia. They will make a lot of money when they go to bigger foreign clubs, if they do get there. So I hereby disconfirm the myth of the great salaries.
Is the income of the players come fixed in the contracts or does it also depend on the results (bonuses for the wins)?
In Kalju we have the result compensation already in the contract payment. If we have the first place and become the champions of Estonia, the players will also be rewarded.
Do you think that FC Flora has an advantage in a way because it is connected with the Estonian Football Association?
I think it has
Why doesn’t Nõmme Kalju train its own youngsters but hires players all the time from elsewhere? Why do you close the children groups all the time? Why don’t you hire proper coaches, I mean that some of the coaches don’t even have papers to train the children?
Kalju does train its youngsters and it is very important to us. Kalju has been working as a club for only eight years and only two and a half of them have been as a professional club so it really has not been possible for us to raise them from the beginning until they are able to help in the clubs first team. Our oldest and most perspective group of youngsters consists of people who have been born in 1996 and this team of boys is one of the best in their age group considering they got the second place in last years Estonian championships. I’m sure that from there will come also the after growth for Kaljus first team. The fact that we have to hire from elsewhere is unavoidable if we want to stay in the competition in the Estonian Champions League because we just don’t have players with the requested quality and skill level from our own. Talking about the coaches, Kalju has three A-licensed (highest category) and several other good specialists with a lower category. Igor Prins and Sergei Terehhov are in the process of getting UEFA PRO license. There are also coaches with a good perspective who go to trainings and are making their theory exams. Kalju is very interested in having their coaches with certifications. We have not closed children groups. In some cases we have joined some groups, which is a perfectly normal process in football.
In the beginning of the season the name Tihhon Šišov came through the teams list. Why didn’t he join Kalju?
We haven’t closed this option yet. Šišov has been training in Kalju since last December. He is waiting for a solution for the problem he had with his last club from FIFA and if he gets a positive response then he can come on the field wearing Kaljus shirt already this season.
I would use the opportunity and ask the same question about Andrei Stepanov.
The first choice for Stepanov in Estonia was Kalju, were he worked with us the whole pre-season with an agreement that if he doesn’t get a contract in a foreign club then he will join us. Right now he is very close to a contract with a club FC Gomel in Belorussia.
When will the new webpage be launched?
The new webpage is really in the making right now and if everything goes well then it will be ready by April. Of course it depends more on our good partners The Dreamcom who are is developing the home page as a sponsorship.
Do you see in the boys’ team who were born in 1996 a potential after growth for the first team? How high are Kaljus hopes on these youngsters?
Kalju sees a very big potential in the boys team born in the 1996. We hope very much that we will have additional forces from this successful team both to the top football in Kalju and also to National teams.
Does Nõmme Kalju have a specialist who coordinates the youth work?
Yes, we do. Kaljus youth work is coordinated by the footballer Rainis Maasing who grew up from the legendary Lions and who we value for his knowledge highly. Rainis joined Kalju last year and we can already see his contribution quite clearly.
Don’t you think that Aivar Pohlaks money transferring from the Estonian Association of Football to FC Flora is a dishonest game. Does the Estonian Association of Football that gets hundreds of millions of kroons UEFAs money support also independent clubs such as Levadia, Kalju, Sillamäe etc.?
I’m not the right person to answer to this question. Kalju supports and advocates the principles of a fair play and acts from this viewpoint. I can’t say anything about The Estonian Football Associations support to Levadia and Sillamäe but Pohlak has given a verbal promise that the association will support the building of our new stadium.
Have you forgiven the hanging up of the panther to the fans of Flora at Kalju-Flora game?
Because Kalju subordinated Flora in this game from 0:2 to 3:2 then I would have also wanted to hang up someone if I had been in their shoes. I’m glad it was just a panther. So no hard feelings at all ☺
Have you improved relationships with the LWB hooligans?
I understand that you refer to the fan group of Kalju „Laagri Wild Boys“ (LWB). I have seen and experienced quite a few things in my life. So I don’t believe that this group can be called hooligans. Anyway our relationships with them are normal.
Why did you run down Stereo lounge last year?
Stereo was closed because of business reasons in connection to the long-term building works in Vabaduse väljak (Square) that interfered with our daily business.
How many people does the Hiiu Stadium hold? When will the additional tribunes be installed?
There have been about 2000 people in the Hiiu stadium from which most were unfortunately forced to stand up. We are applying for the money for the additional tribunes from the owner of the stadium the city of Tallinn and also The Estonian Association of Football who could support in this common and important question. If we get money for it then we will also install the additional tribunes so that the people of Tallinn and Nõmme could enjoy football more conveniently.
Don’t you think that hiring Kristen Viikmäe was a mistake?
Even if I had had this kind of thought in somewhere dark and deep inside then after the second round meeting with FC Viljandi all my doubts were gone. Viikmäe scored the first goal for Kalju this season and I’m sure that by the end of the season he will be in the top of the Champion League scorers. I’m very proud that he joined Kalju and I believe that his contribution to our success will be very big this season.
How many people are you expecting to have as an audience in average?
We are not afraid to set up daring goals and I believe that if Kalju will be able to show beautiful games and Igor Prins will stay in the competition for the medals with the team then 500 to have as an average audience is quite accessible achievement considering also that Kalju is pretty active in marketing. This number is much bigger than our competitors and we will have to work hard for it. A few years ago our average was 450 so I believe that 500 is really achievable.
When will the new foreigners arrive?
There have been more departures than arriving’s this year.
Don’t you think that Kaljus bench is too weak to win the champions title?
So far no bench has broken under the weight of Kalju. We hope that this will also not happen on our way to the champions’ title.
A few years ago you had some disagreements with Pohlak (President of FA). How are your relationships with him now?
I think that because our disagreements with him have never been on personal grounds then my relationship with Mr. Pohlak should still be satisfying. I admit that our visions in certain questions concerning football have not been the same but this doesn’t mean that both sides don’t respect each other. We both have our path to go and I don’t think I can say which one of them is more right. Our purpose is the same – to cultivate football in Estonia.
Last but not least I would like to thank everybody for interesting questions and we wait you to Hiiu stadium to cheer for Kalju.
Kuno Tehva, President of FC Nõmme Kalju for Delfi.ee
Interview with Nõmme Kalju head coach Igor Prins
This Saturday, on June 11, FC Nõmme Kalju meets on its home stadium Hiiu in the 14. Champions’ League round the team of FC Levadia. The teams follow each other in the charts: FC Levadia with 28 points on the second and Nõmme Kalju with 25 points on the third position. So the anticipated game will be principal and of extreme importance. We would like to render some of the thoughts of the head coach prior to this significant game.
Igor Prins:”Until now I am satisfied with the players. We have won the necessary points. Yes, we gave away some points to Paide City Team (Paide Linnameeskond) and FC Kuressaare, but there is no point in feeling bad about it. I can say that the general impression of the team is good. There have not been any major setbacks. The players definitely have the strength and will! If you ask me whether the targets of the season are still gold medals, then I would answer that we are not changing our targets in the middle of the season. We can certainly improve the performance of the strikers. We are continuing with the same players. It is necessary to make the strikers sharper and use more goal possibilities.”
The head coach was of the opinion that the artificial lawn of the Hiiu stadium has amortized a long time ago and it definitely needs the replacement. But today it is still the fact that we have to play our home games there. We all hope for the new stadium!
The head coach answered in a gentlemanly manner the question, whom would he bring forth from the team players:
“I do not bring forth anybody. It is not necessary for look for those being guilty! We need stability and more logical teamwork.”
The opinion of the head coach of the competitors was diplomatic.
“No opponent should be underestimated. No game should be faced superciliously or with half of the strength only.”
The head coach answered categorically the question of his opinion regarding the betting problem of Narva “Trans” and what kind of standpoint should the Estonian Football Association have towards it:
“This is pure prostitution! The Estonian Football Association should have a very strong standpoint about it, but in the first range it is the club’s internal issue and such phenomenon should be battled with.”
Igor Prins is optimistic and says that co-operation with the assistant coach Fredo Getulio Aurelio is normal and he understand that Getulio is also very much engaged in other obligations. Also he expressed the opinion that the “Kalju” fans could and should support more their home team, be a little bit more cultured in their emotions, give more thought to their joint activity and understand better the aim of their actions.
Has the level of the Estonian football improved or worsened? The answer of the head coach regarding this issue is considering:
“I think that the level of the Estonian football has not improved, it has rather become more even. But the level of the team is improving. It is important to make the work with the new generation more efficient, to create a solid and functioning structure.”
What is the opinion of Igor Prins of the UEFA European League games? Head coach:
“The European League game differs from the game of the Estonian Masters’ League. It is just important to play better. Each man in the field must give his 100-per cent contribution. We must considerably improve our playing quality. And there must always be some luck! But let’s look at one game at a time. And a very important game is waiting for us already this Saturday, when the opponent is Tallinn FC Levadia. Each man must definitely give his 100-per cent contribution into this game!”
The conversation was forwarded by Anton Siht.
Daniil Savitski
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
1. How many tattoos do you have? Zero
2. Eye color? Greenish grey
3. Favorite color? Blue
4. Sushi or pasta? Pasta
5. Barcelona or Manchester United? Neither
6. White or black uniform? White
7. Chess or chequers? Chess
9. Cinema or theatre? Cinema
10. Boy or girl? Girl
11. Desperate Housewives or The Simpsons? Desperate Housewives
12. Facebook or Orkut? Facebook
13. Saku or Alecoq? Alecoq
14. Blond or brunet? Both
15. Skateboard or roller skates? Roller skates
16. Favorite actor? Denzel Washington
17. Favorite footballer? Jüri Jevdokimov
18. Favorite film? Training Day
19. Coffee or tea? Tea
20. Skiing or tennis? Tennis
THE MOST INTERESTING (FUNNY) STORY IN KALJU OR WITH KALJU PLAYER:
“World’s fastest name change. After my début game, I gave a after game interview to Ott Järvele, who said at the beginning “Hello Daniil!”, but at the end of the interview he said “Thank you Aleksei!”, who is my brother. This spicy story got also mentioning in Ärapanija, which is a local TV show.”
