“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at FCI Tallinn, and it is not being withdrawn.
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Boardroom4 Sep 2028
FCI Tallinn close the window on a squad of their own making
14 in and 6 out, and no more changes for months. The manager has what he has, the supporters have their opinion of it, and the table will have the last word.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at FCI Tallinn is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
The deal with Tammeka is done in every sense but the one that puts him on the pitch. Nothing goes wrong at this stage, except on the occasions when it does.
Martin Ojamaa and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Not now, not at any price the club was prepared to say out loud. Parnu have kept their man, and FCI Tallinn go back to a list with one name crossed off it.
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Alexandru Tabuncic was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
“I have tried. I have really tried, and every day I wake up in the wrong place.” Nobody at FCI Tallinn can coach that out of a man, and nobody there is pretending to.
It has stopped being a mood in the stands and started being something organised. Boards can ignore a bad atmosphere for a long time; they cannot ignore this stage of it for very long at all.
Nobody upstairs has said anything, which is the loudest thing they could do. Results buy silence in this game; the account at FCI Tallinn is running low.
Alexandru Tabuncic and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
FCI Tallinn asked and Nomme Kalju said no without discussing a figure. It is the least ambiguous answer in football and the one clubs most often come back to test.
Squad28 Aug 2028
Words at FCI Tallinn training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Ardijan Chilafi is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
It is never announced and it is entirely visible: the biggest afternoons of the season keep containing him. A press box works this out long before anybody at the club confirms a word of it.
In brief
The dugoutArtjom Škinjov asks for a word with the manager
FCI Tallinn have gone to Parnu with a bid, and the supporters have gone to the internet with an opinion about it. Whether either changes anything is up to the selling club.
Idalécio Dias and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Idalécio Dias is on it.
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Riccardo Di Trolio trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
The mood at FCI Tallinn has turned into something else
Supporters who sing when it goes badly are supporters. Supporters who gather afterwards are a problem, and everybody inside the building knows which of the two this now is.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what FCI Tallinn can pretend not to have heard.
A bone, which is the one injury with a calendar attached. FCI Tallinn will name a return date and, unusually for this business, will probably be right about it.
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at FCI Tallinn this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
The offer went to Parnu this week and it is theirs to answer. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loud the door closes.
Martin Ojamaa was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
It is never announced and it is entirely visible: the biggest afternoons of the season keep containing him. A press box works this out long before anybody at the club confirms a word of it.
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Yaniv Edery trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
“Judge me on him.” Managers do not say that kind of thing by accident — it moves the pressure from Riccardo Di Trolio’s shoulders onto his own, and both of them know it.
15 without a win now, and the ground has developed the special quiet of a crowd that expects the worst. One scrappy 1-0 would cure most of it; that is the maddening part.
The terraces3 Jul 2028
The mood at FCI Tallinn has turned into something else
Supporters who sing when it goes badly are supporters. Supporters who gather afterwards are a problem, and everybody inside the building knows which of the two this now is.
The board’s statement ran to three sentences and one of them mentioned results. Rauno Tamm has managed long enough to translate: win soon, or the next statement is shorter.
The last league game has been played and the table has stopped moving: 6 points. The summer begins on Monday, and so does the argument about what it all meant.
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at FCI Tallinn, and it is not being withdrawn.
Paide ended it 0‑5. The season narrows to the league now, and everyone in the ground knew it before the final whistle.
The terraces19 Jun 2028
FCI Tallinn are taken apart by Paide — and the town wants answers
It finished 0-5. A cup exit is a disappointment; this was a public dismantling, and the difference between the two is the number of people who will still be talking about it in August.
Idalécio Dias and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what FCI Tallinn can pretend not to have heard.
The accountants will call it good business and they will be right, which is not the point anybody outside the boardroom is making. Aleksander Iljin was one of the reasons people came, and $790.0K does not replace that by itself.
Idalécio Dias was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
FCI Tallinn asked and Levadia said no without discussing a figure. It is the least ambiguous answer in football and the one clubs most often come back to test.
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what FCI Tallinn can pretend not to have heard.
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at FCI Tallinn this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad29 May 2028
Words at FCI Tallinn training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Alexandru Tabuncic is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” FCI Tallinn have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Idalécio Dias and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Squad22 May 2028
Words at FCI Tallinn training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Maksim Podholjuzin is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
Conceding is one thing; the response is what tells you about a dressing room. Idalécio Dias had FCI Tallinn level again within 1 minutes, and Tammeka never got to play with a lead at all.
Both clubs in the mire, one fixture between them, and a ground that will be louder and more frightened than at any point in the season. FCI Tallinn know what is at stake and so does everybody in the away end.
In brief
The dugoutThe manager makes an example of Artjom Škinjov
It has stopped being a mood in the stands and started being something organised. Boards can ignore a bad atmosphere for a long time; they cannot ignore this stage of it for very long at all.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the whole of the defence. 10 saves, several of them the kind nobody expects to see made, and ten outfield players who owe him a drink.
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at FCI Tallinn, and it is not being withdrawn.
Two or more conceded in each of the last 6 matches. It is not one mistake repeating itself, which would be the easier thing to fix; it is a different one every week.
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at FCI Tallinn this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Match6 May 2028
Nobody could stop scoring
7 goals. Both benches spent the second half looking at each other rather than at the pitch. Purists will complain about FCI Tallinn and Flora in equal measure; everybody else had a wonderful time.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what FCI Tallinn can pretend not to have heard.
Defending was optional and nobody took up the option. 7 goals between FCI Tallinn and Levadia, and not one of the people who paid to be there will ask for the money back.
Squad1 May 2028
Words at FCI Tallinn training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Maksim Podholjuzin is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
Beaten 6 times, with 3 saves for company. Goalkeepers carry these scorelines on their record whoever actually caused them, which is the quiet injustice of the job.
4 without a win now, and the ground has developed the special quiet of a crowd that expects the worst. One scrappy 1-0 would cure most of it; that is the maddening part.
Idalécio Dias and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Maksim Podholjuzin was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
“We were not good enough today and I am not going to dress it up.” Rauno Tamm after 1‑2, in the tone of a man who knows the next question and does not intend to answer it.
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Aleksander Iljin is on it.
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Alexandru Tabuncic was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
“The supporters are entitled to be angry. So am I. We will put it right.” 0‑3, a manager saying the necessary things, and a dressing room that heard a different version of them.
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at FCI Tallinn this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Nobody at FCI Tallinn will say this on the record and the team sheets have been saying it for weeks. There is a small group in every squad who get picked when the fixture is difficult, and he has joined it.
It has stopped being a mood in the stands and started being something organised. Boards can ignore a bad atmosphere for a long time; they cannot ignore this stage of it for very long at all.
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Maksim Podholjuzin was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Goalkeepers do not get to make mistakes; they get to make goals. He made one, he knew it instantly, and there was nobody behind him to make it anything else.
Idalécio Dias was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
The chances are being made and something is happening between the making and the finishing. 3 matches now, and the anxiety in the ground arrives a little earlier every week.
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Maksim Podholjuzin was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the whole of the defence. 8 saves, several of them the kind nobody expects to see made, and ten outfield players who owe him a drink.
“The easiest signature of my career.” Maksim Podholjuzin and FCI Tallinn agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
1 boys move up, and somewhere in the building the people who coached them at twelve are quietly having the best morning of their working year. Nothing about this shows up in a result and it is why the academy exists.
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Alexandru Tabuncic was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Nobody upstairs has said anything, which is the loudest thing they could do. Results buy silence in this game; the account at FCI Tallinn is running low.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what FCI Tallinn can pretend not to have heard.
Martin Ojamaa and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Maksim Podholjuzin was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Nobody at FCI Tallinn will say this on the record and the team sheets have been saying it for weeks. There is a small group in every squad who get picked when the fixture is difficult, and he has joined it.
A year in and the city has not opened up, the language has not come, and lunch is eaten alone more often than anybody at FCI Tallinn would admit. It shows on Saturdays.
A bad atmosphere can be waited out. A group of people meeting afterwards to decide what to do about it cannot, and everybody in the building knows which stage this is.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what FCI Tallinn can pretend not to have heard.
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at FCI Tallinn this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad14 Feb 2028
Words at FCI Tallinn training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Alexandru Tabuncic is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
What was said behind closed doors has now been said in front of a microphone. Everybody at FCI Tallinn can do the arithmetic, including the man it is aimed at.
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at FCI Tallinn this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad3 Jan 2028
Words at FCI Tallinn training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Alexandru Tabuncic is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
“Some mornings you wake up and you are still a long way from everything you know.” It is not the football and it never was; FCI Tallinn are dealing with a man who wants a different country.
FCI Tallinn have made the call to Nomme Kalju. No fee, a share of the wages, and a spare shirt in the position where the squad has been thinnest all season.
It is never announced and it is entirely visible: the biggest afternoons of the season keep containing him. A press box works this out long before anybody at the club confirms a word of it.
A change in the dugout is not one story, it is twenty-five of them. This is Maksim Podholjuzin's: he was somebody's player, and now he has to be somebody else's, starting from nothing.
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Maksim Podholjuzin was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
It is never announced and it is entirely visible: the biggest afternoons of the season keep containing him. A press box works this out long before anybody at the club confirms a word of it.
In brief
The dugoutYaniv Edery knocks on the manager’s door
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Clubs spend fortunes looking for players and occasionally find one down the corridor. Sander Dmitrijev is that, and the reception he gets on his first appearance will be different in kind from the one any signing receives.
There is no fee, no unveiling and no agent on the steps. Frank Ainsalu has been at this club since he was a boy and is now, formally, one of the first-team squad — which for a local readership beats any signing of any size.
Clubs spend fortunes looking for players and occasionally find one down the corridor. Nikita Sappinen is that, and the reception he gets on his first appearance will be different in kind from the one any signing receives.
There is no fee, no unveiling and no agent on the steps. Karol Tamm has been at this club since he was a boy and is now, formally, one of the first-team squad — which for a local readership beats any signing of any size.
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Aleksander Iljin is on it.
He used to be one of the options. He is now one of the men the options are picked around, and the change happened quietly enough that only the dressing room noticed on the day.
It is a strip of cloth and it decides nothing on a Saturday. It still tells the dressing room exactly whose opinion the manager values, which is the whole point of it.
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Maílson was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
“I have given this everything, but my family is not here and neither am I, not really.” A footballer can be coached out of bad form. Nobody has ever been coached out of this, and FCI Tallinn know it.
Nobody at FCI Tallinn will say this on the record and the team sheets have been saying it for weeks. There is a small group in every squad who get picked when the fixture is difficult, and he has joined it.
Clubs make promises constantly and the page usually only hears about them when they are broken. This one was honoured, and the dressing room noticed that faster than any supporter did.
A year in and the language has not come, the city has not opened up, and he eats alone more often than anybody at FCI Tallinn would like to admit. It is showing on Saturdays.
In brief
The dugoutYaniv Edery knocks on the manager's door
Alexandru Tabuncic and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Nobody at FCI Tallinn will say this on the record and the team sheets have been saying it for weeks. There is a small group in every squad who get picked when the fixture is difficult, and he has joined it.
In brief
BoardroomFCI Tallinn pull $699.8K back off the table
37 days on the estimate, and a long, private, unglamorous year of a rehabilitation nobody watches. FCI Tallinn lose a footballer; he loses considerably more than a season.
A bad atmosphere can be waited out. A group of people meeting afterwards to decide what to do about it cannot, and everybody in the building knows which stage this is.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what FCI Tallinn can pretend not to have heard.
Bones knit. That is the one merciful thing about this injury and the reason FCI Tallinn will talk about it more openly than they would about a knee. He will be back, and roughly when they say.
“The easiest signature of my career.” Maksim Podholjuzin and FCI Tallinn agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Martin Ojamaa and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Maksim Podholjuzin arrives at 34 with nothing left to prove and plenty left to pass on. Legs are a young man's currency; knowing where to stand never ages.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at FCI Tallinn, and both men came out saying it was fine.
In brief
The dugoutJoonas Sorga has become a man the manager trusts
A bone, which is the one injury with a calendar attached. FCI Tallinn will name a return date and, unusually for this business, will probably be right about it.
The chase for Martin Ojamaa ended with $170.0K changing hands and Sillamae Kalev out of reasons to say no. The supporters will judge the fee the only way that matters: on Saturdays.
$48.0K on the table at Nomme Kalju. The manager wanted him, the board agreed a number, and the only voices still to be heard are the ones at the other club.
Victor Hugo and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
The terraces26 Jul 2027
FCI Tallinn spend $170.0K on the signing the town wanted
It is the rarest sequence in football: supporters ask for something, and the club goes and does it. $170.0K for Martin Ojamaa, and for one week nobody is complaining about anything.
Squad26 Jul 2027
Words at FCI Tallinn training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Maílson is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The approach was made and the answer came back in a sentence. There is no number on the table because there was no number that would have been enough.
Squad26 Jul 2027
5 new faces, and FCI Tallinn are still learning each other
A squad rebuilt inside one window pays for it in a currency nobody budgets for. The football is not worse than the sum of the players; it is worse than the sum of the players who have played together before.
Nobody at FCI Tallinn will say this on the record and the team sheets have been saying it for weeks. There is a small group in every squad who get picked when the fixture is difficult, and he has joined it.
In brief
The dugoutYaniv Edery asks for a word with the manager
The accountants will call it good business and they will be right, which is not the point anybody outside the boardroom is making. Martin Ojamaa was one of the reasons people came, and $170.0K does not replace that by itself.
Sander Liivak was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Not now, not at any price the club was prepared to say out loud. Nomme Kalju have kept their man, and Sillamae Kalev go back to a list with one name crossed off it.
“I watch every Sillamae Kalev game from here. That says everything about where my head is.” The loan at FCI Tallinn runs its course, but his heart never made the trip.
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Ken Tamm was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Bones knit. That is the one merciful thing about this injury and the reason FCI Tallinn will talk about it more openly than they would about a knee. He will be back, and roughly when they say.
FCI Tallinn and Sillamae Kalev have settled on $170.0K. The rest belongs to the player and his agent, and a supporter who has watched one of these before knows not to buy the shirt yet.
Not now, not at any price the club was prepared to say out loud. Sillamae Kalev have kept their man, and FCI Tallinn go back to a list with one name crossed off it.
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
A loan enquiry to Sillamae Kalev: cover, or a look at somebody the club cannot afford to buy yet. Either way the answer will come back inside the week.
Rauno Kait was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Aleksander Iljin is on it.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at FCI Tallinn, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Fee agreed, wages agreed, and Parnu waiting with a shirt. Nobody at Sillamae Kalev is pretending otherwise, and the supporters have stopped asking whether and started asking when.
He is 21, he is averaging 7.14, and older professionals have started passing to him in the difficult minutes. That last part is the real scouting report.
Tammeka did not want to sell and the number is why they did. $42.0K for Laurits Õunpuu, and the expectation that arrives with him is the kind no amount of settling-in period softens.
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Sillamae Kalev this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Laurits Õunpuu was the name on every phone-in, and the club has gone and signed him for $42.0K. For one week the board can do no wrong, which is a week most boards never get.
Everyone has stopped pretending: FCI Tallinn will make the call about Martin Ojamaa this week. Sillamae Kalev have a number in mind, and the number is not shy.
Not now, not at any price the club was prepared to say out loud. Znamya Truda have kept their man, and Sillamae Kalev go back to a list with one name crossed off it.
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Sander Liivak was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Ken Liivak will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Sillamae Kalev the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Sillamae Kalev offered $320.0K; Paide said it was not close. The manager will be told the money is still there for the right player, which is what managers are told.
The offer went to Tammeka this week and it is theirs to answer. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loud the door closes.
Boards get told what they have done wrong for years and hear nothing on the days they get it right. This is one of those days: Carl Kaiser Kiidjärv from Tammeka for $31.0K, and a ticket office having a very good morning.
Sillamae Kalev asked and Neftekhimik said no without discussing a figure. It is the least ambiguous answer in football and the one clubs most often come back to test.
The last league game has been played and the table has stopped moving: 22 points. The summer begins on Monday, and so does the argument about what it all meant.
The offer from FCI Tallinn for Martin Ojamaa was heard out and sent back the same day. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loudly the door closes.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the whole of the defence. 7 saves, several of them the kind nobody expects to see made, and ten outfield players who owe him a drink.
The offer went to Paide this week and it is theirs to answer. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loud the door closes.
$31.0K on the table at Tammeka. The manager wanted him, the board agreed a number, and the only voices still to be heard are the ones at the other club.
Defending was optional and nobody took up the option. 6 goals between Sillamae Kalev and Nomme Kalju, and not one of the people who paid to be there will ask for the money back.
“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Silver Pikk and Sillamae Kalev agree another 2 years.
Not now, not at any price the club was prepared to say out loud. Levadia have kept their man, and Sillamae Kalev go back to a list with one name crossed off it.
FCI Tallinn will want this one forgotten quickly: 6‑1, every duel lost, and a long ride home. Sillamae Kalev were ruthless in the way good sides are ruthless.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Sillamae Kalev can pretend not to have heard.
Fee agreed, wages agreed, and Tulevik waiting with a shirt. Nobody at Sillamae Kalev is pretending otherwise, and the supporters have stopped asking whether and started asking when.
The hardest thing about being 18 in a senior side is that nobody makes allowances. Sander Ainsalu did not need any: 7.75, and he looked the most comfortable man on the pitch.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Sillamae Kalev is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Defending was optional and nobody took up the option. 7 goals between Sillamae Kalev and FCI Tallinn, and not one of the people who paid to be there will ask for the money back.
Alexandru Tabuncic was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Not now, not at any price the club was prepared to say out loud. Sillamae Kalev have kept their man, and FCI Tallinn go back to a list with one name crossed off it.
He is 22 and the ground already sings his name, which is a thing that happens to local boys and almost never to signings. Everything from here is measured against an affection he did nothing to earn except be from here.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 7 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Fee agreed, wages agreed, and Tulevik waiting with a shirt. Nobody at Sillamae Kalev is pretending otherwise, and the supporters have stopped asking whether and started asking when.
Player ratings21 Jun 2027
Karl Kruglov, 17, plays like he has been here for years — 7.85
A mark of 7.85 means one thing beside a twenty-nine-year-old's name and something else entirely beside a 17-year-old's. Nobody at the ground needed telling which this was.
A season average of 7.14 at an age when most of his year group are still in the youth team. Sillamae Kalev know what they have, and so, by now, does everybody else.
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Sillamae Kalev this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Sillamae Kalev asked and Flora said no without discussing a figure. It is the least ambiguous answer in football and the one clubs most often come back to test.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 9 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
The offer from Tulevik for Rafael Santos was heard out and sent back the same day. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loudly the door closes.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Sillamae Kalev they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
$31.0K on the table at Tammeka. The manager wanted him, the board agreed a number, and the only voices still to be heard are the ones at the other club.
The phone has started ringing about Silver Dmitrijev again, and this time the name on the line is FCI Tallinn. Sillamae Kalev are listening politely and promising nothing.
“The supporters are entitled to be angry. So am I. We will put it right.” 1‑2, a manager saying the necessary things, and a dressing room that heard a different version of them.
The offer from FCI Tallinn for Martin Ojamaa was heard out and sent back the same day. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loudly the door closes.
Defending was optional and nobody took up the option. 8 goals between Sillamae Kalev and Parnu, and not one of the people who paid to be there will ask for the money back.
Sander Liivak and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
“I watch every Sillamae Kalev game from here. That says everything about where my head is.” The loan at Tammeka runs its course, but his heart never made the trip.
Add another name to the list: Tulevik have asked the question everybody in the game has been asking about Rafael Santos. The answer from Sillamae Kalev has not changed — yet.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 7 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Martin Ojamaa was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
“I did not go to FCI Tallinn to sit and watch. I want to come back to Sillamae Kalev and fight for my place.” 3 appearances in 18 matches say the rest.
The dugout31 May 2027
The manager’s verdict
“That is on me. I pick the team and I picked wrong.” Managers say that when they mean it and when they need to be seen to, and after 0‑2 Silver Ainsalu left the room before anybody could ask which.
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Joonas Vassiljev was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Sillamae Kalev, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the whole of the defence. 6 saves, several of them the kind nobody expects to see made, and ten outfield players who owe him a drink.
He is 21, he is averaging 7.16, and older professionals have started passing to him in the difficult minutes. That last part is the real scouting report.
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Sillamae Kalev this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Conceding is one thing; the response is what tells you about a dressing room. Nikita Igonen had Sillamae Kalev level again within 4 minutes, and Narva Trans never got to play with a lead at all.
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Joonas Vassiljev was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Martin Ojamaa is on it.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Sillamae Kalev can pretend not to have heard.
The hardest thing about being 21 in a senior side is that nobody makes allowances. Vlasi Kruglov did not need any: 8.94, and he looked the most comfortable man on the pitch.
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Ken Liivak will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Sillamae Kalev the goodbyes have quietly begun.
At 18 he is being sung about by people twice his age, which is an affection a signing has to earn over years and a local kid gets for turning up. It is also the hardest thing in football to live up to.
“I watch every Sillamae Kalev game from here. That says everything about where my head is.” The loan at Tulevik runs its course, but his heart never made the trip.
“We earned that. I asked them for a reaction and I got one, and now I want the same again on Saturday.” Silver Ainsalu on a 5‑0 afternoon that pleased him more than he was prepared to show.
Brutal, unambiguous and, for all the horror of the moment, usually less career-shaped than the ligament everybody fears more. 17 days, a clean timeline, and a return date somebody can actually plan around.
Player ratings10 May 2027
Vlasi Kruglov, 21, plays like he has been here for years — 8.56
A mark of 8.56 means one thing beside a twenty-nine-year-old's name and something else entirely beside a 21-year-old's. Nobody at the ground needed telling which this was.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the whole of the defence. 6 saves, several of them the kind nobody expects to see made, and ten outfield players who owe him a drink.
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Rafael Santos will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Sillamae Kalev the goodbyes have quietly begun.
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at Sillamae Kalev, and 0 appearances in 14 say he has earned the hearing.
Bones knit. That is the one merciful thing about this injury and the reason Sillamae Kalev will talk about it more openly than they would about a knee. He will be back, and roughly when they say.
The hardest thing about being 21 in a senior side is that nobody makes allowances. Vlasi Kruglov did not need any: 7.84, and he looked the most comfortable man on the pitch.
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Sillamae Kalev this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
A season average of 7.01 at an age when most of his year group are still in the youth team. Sillamae Kalev know what they have, and so, by now, does everybody else.
He is 21 and the ground already sings his name, which is a thing that happens to local boys and almost never to signings. Everything from here is measured against an affection he did nothing to earn except be from here.
“I watch every Sillamae Kalev game from here. That says everything about where my head is.” The loan at FCI Tallinn runs its course, but his heart never made the trip.
“We earned that. I asked them for a reaction and I got one, and now I want the same again on Saturday.” Silver Ainsalu on a 1‑0 afternoon that pleased him more than he was prepared to show.
Headers, blocks, tackles, interceptions — 15 of them, and not one goal behind him. The sort of performance that never makes a highlight reel and wins football matches.
Bones knit. That is the one merciful thing about this injury and the reason Sillamae Kalev will talk about it more openly than they would about a knee. He will be back, and roughly when they say.
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Sillamae Kalev, and it is not being withdrawn.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Sillamae Kalev is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
6 goals in one match, Vlasi Kruglov on the scoresheet, and a scoreline that will look like a misprint. Neutrals could not have asked more of Sillamae Kalev and Levadia.
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Sillamae Kalev this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Brutal, unambiguous and, for all the horror of the moment, usually less career-shaped than the ligament everybody fears more. 46 days, a clean timeline, and a return date somebody can actually plan around.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Sillamae Kalev can pretend not to have heard.
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Rafael Santos will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Sillamae Kalev the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Martin Ojamaa was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
“We were not good enough today and I am not going to dress it up.” Silver Ainsalu after 0‑5, in the tone of a man who knows the next question and does not intend to answer it.
Bones knit. That is the one merciful thing about this injury and the reason Sillamae Kalev will talk about it more openly than they would about a knee. He will be back, and roughly when they say.
Cup ties wait for somebody to seize them, and Brent Kruglov obliged against Parnu. 3‑0 on the night, and the name in the next round’s hat is Sillamae Kalev.
There were 86 minutes on the clock and Parnu had all but banked the point. Football rarely reads the room, and Sillamae Kalev did not stop to explain themselves.
3 wins in a row changes how opponents warm up: quieter, more glances across. Runs end, everybody knows that — but nobody in this dressing room is planning for it.
Martin Ojamaa and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
He is 23 and the ground already sings his name, which is a thing that happens to local boys and almost never to signings. Everything from here is measured against an affection he did nothing to earn except be from here.
Brutal, unambiguous and, for all the horror of the moment, usually less career-shaped than the ligament everybody fears more. 68 days, a clean timeline, and a return date somebody can actually plan around.
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Ken Liivak will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Sillamae Kalev the goodbyes have quietly begun.
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Sillamae Kalev this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
It is never announced and it is entirely visible: the biggest afternoons of the season keep containing him. A press box works this out long before anybody at the club confirms a word of it.
Bones knit. That is the one merciful thing about this injury and the reason Sillamae Kalev will talk about it more openly than they would about a knee. He will be back, and roughly when they say.
Tulevik will want this one forgotten quickly: 3‑0, every duel lost, and a long ride home. Sillamae Kalev were ruthless in the way good sides are ruthless.
Two goals and a mark of 9.11 to go with them. Strikers are judged on afternoons like this one and remembered for far fewer of them than people imagine.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Sillamae Kalev they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Sander Liivak was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
At 20 he is being sung about by people twice his age, which is an affection a signing has to earn over years and a local kid gets for turning up. It is also the hardest thing in football to live up to.
20 days on the announcement, and a year of quiet, unwatched rehabilitation behind it. Sillamae Kalev lose a player for a season; he loses something harder to name.
Brutal, unambiguous and, for all the horror of the moment, usually less career-shaped than the ligament everybody fears more. 82 days, a clean timeline, and a return date somebody can actually plan around.
2‑5 to Tammeka, and it was every bit as bad as the number suggests. There are defeats you argue about and defeats you apologise for; this was the second kind.
Player ratings8 Mar 2027
Vlasi Kruglov could not have asked for more on his first appearance — 7.57
Debuts are survived rather than enjoyed. This one was enjoyed: 7.57, 1 goals, and a manager already being asked whether he starts again next week.
The hardest thing about being 19 in a senior side is that nobody makes allowances. Brent Kruglov did not need any: 7.76, and he looked the most comfortable man on the pitch.
Successful dribbles: 22. He went past people as if he had been told there was a prize for it, and by the end the full-back had stopped pretending to try.
7 goals. Both benches spent the second half looking at each other rather than at the pitch. Purists will complain about Sillamae Kalev and Tammeka in equal measure; everybody else had a wonderful time.
Martin Ojamaa and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
27 days on the announcement, and a year of quiet, unwatched rehabilitation behind it. Sillamae Kalev lose a player for a season; he loses something harder to name.
A bone, which is the one injury with a calendar attached. Sillamae Kalev will name a return date and, unusually for this business, will probably be right about it.
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at Sillamae Kalev, and 0 appearances in 6 say he has earned the hearing.
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Artur Tamm was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Nobody at Sillamae Kalev will say this on the record and the team sheets have been saying it for weeks. There is a small group in every squad who get picked when the fixture is difficult, and he has joined it.
35 days on the estimate, and a long, private, unglamorous year of a rehabilitation nobody watches. Sillamae Kalev lose a footballer; he loses considerably more than a season.
Brutal, unambiguous and, for all the horror of the moment, usually less career-shaped than the ligament everybody fears more. 97 days, a clean timeline, and a return date somebody can actually plan around.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Sillamae Kalev is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Sillamae Kalev this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
43 days on the announcement, and a year of quiet, unwatched rehabilitation behind it. Sillamae Kalev lose a player for a season; he loses something harder to name.
A bone, which is the one injury with a calendar attached. Sillamae Kalev will name a return date and, unusually for this business, will probably be right about it.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Sillamae Kalev is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Martin Ojamaa was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Joonas Vassiljev was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
In brief
The dugoutKen Tamm has become a man the manager trusts
Bones knit. That is the one merciful thing about this injury and the reason Sillamae Kalev will talk about it more openly than they would about a knee. He will be back, and roughly when they say.
The clubs have settled the fee and he has settled his wages. What remains is a medical and a photograph, and around Sillamae Kalev people have started saying his name in the past tense.
Rafael Santos and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Martin Ojamaa is on it.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Sillamae Kalev, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Sillamae Kalev spent the window trying to move Hendrik Zenjov on and nobody came. He trains with a squad that has already told him he is not part of it, and both sides now wait for the next one.
In brief
The dugoutThe manager plants his flag on Martin Hein
Bones knit. That is the one merciful thing about this injury and the reason Sillamae Kalev will talk about it more openly than they would about a knee. He will be back, and roughly when they say.
The clubs have settled the fee and he has settled his wages. What remains is a medical and a photograph, and around Sillamae Kalev people have started saying his name in the past tense.
Boardroom1 Feb 2027
Deadline passes with 0 signed and 10 gone
That is the business done at Sillamae Kalev until the window opens again. Whether it was enough will be answered on Saturdays rather than in a column, and the first Saturday is close.
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Joonas Vassiljev is on it.
Not a new contract, not a new number: a new place in the manager’s thinking, which is the only promotion in football that actually matters. Ken Tamm has moved up it.
The offer from FCI Tallinn for Rafael Santos was heard out and sent back the same day. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loudly the door closes.
Martin Ojamaa was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
The name of Rauno Pikk has come up in conversations Sillamae Kalev were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
Squad18 Jan 2027
Words at Sillamae Kalev training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Artur Tamm is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Ken Tamm is on it.
Martin Ojamaa and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
FCI Tallinn paid $22.0K and Sillamae Kalev took it, which is the whole story in one sentence. The longer version involves a wage budget and will be told all season.
The name of Rafael Santos has come up in conversations Sillamae Kalev were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Martin Ojamaa is on it.
Squad11 Jan 2027
Words at Sillamae Kalev training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Karl Tamm is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
“I respect the manager and I am not going to sit here and pretend I am happy.” It is the most common sentence in football and it has never once been the end of a story.
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Joonas Vassiljev was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Joonas Vassiljev is on it.
The registration window is open and the phone has started. Between now and the deadline this club will be linked with forty players and sign three, which is the usual ratio.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Sillamae Kalev, and both men came out saying it was fine.
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Sillamae Kalev this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Artur Tamm was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
In brief
The dugoutBrent Kruglov has become a man the manager trusts
The dugoutHendrik Zenjov asks for a word with the manager
Sander Liivak and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Joonas Vassiljev was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Nobody at Sillamae Kalev will say this on the record and the team sheets have been saying it for weeks. There is a small group in every squad who get picked when the fixture is difficult, and he has joined it.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Sillamae Kalev, and both men came out saying it was fine.
A year in and the city has not opened up, the language has not come, and lunch is eaten alone more often than anybody at Sillamae Kalev would admit. It shows on Saturdays.
Somebody has moved past him. It is not a dropping and it is worse than one, because a dropping is about a Saturday and this is about where he stands.
Squad7 Dec 2026
Mihkel Puri falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
It is never announced and it is entirely visible: the biggest afternoons of the season keep containing him. A press box works this out long before anybody at the club confirms a word of it.
15 days on the announcement, and a year of quiet, unwatched rehabilitation behind it. Sillamae Kalev lose a player for a season; he loses something harder to name.
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Sillamae Kalev this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
8 signings in three months. Every one of them may be an upgrade and the team can still be worse for a while, which is the part of a rebuild that never appears in the transfer-window verdicts.
In brief
SquadKarl Tamm falls out with a teammate over standards
22 days on the estimate, and a long, private, unglamorous year of a rehabilitation nobody watches. Sillamae Kalev lose a footballer; he loses considerably more than a season.
Martin Ojamaa was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
“I watch every Sillamae Kalev game from here. That says everything about where my head is.” The loan at Levadia runs its course, but his heart never made the trip.
The words a physio says slowly. 32 days is what the club will announce and everybody who has heard this diagnosis before knows the number is the least of it: the knee comes back before the player does.
Martin Ojamaa and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
“I watch every Sillamae Kalev game from here. That says everything about where my head is.” The loan at Parnu runs its course, but his heart never made the trip.
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Martin Ojamaa is on it.
Squad16 Nov 2026
Words at Sillamae Kalev training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Artur Tamm is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
“I watch every Sillamae Kalev game from here. That says everything about where my head is.” The loan at FCI Tallinn runs its course, but his heart never made the trip.
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Ken Tamm is on it.
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Sillamae Kalev this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
“I watch every Sillamae Kalev game from here. That says everything about where my head is.” The loan at Levadia runs its course, but his heart never made the trip.
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Joonas Vassiljev was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Sander Liivak and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Joonas Tamm and Sillamae Kalev agree another 3 years.
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at Sillamae Kalev, and 0 appearances in 9 say he has earned the hearing.
It is never announced and it is entirely visible: the biggest afternoons of the season keep containing him. A press box works this out long before anybody at the club confirms a word of it.
Public backing, and the sort that costs a manager something if it turns out to be wrong. Sander Liivak has been told in front of everybody that the shirt is his.
In brief
SquadQuestions about Liliu Kallaste on the training pitch