“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 Levadia, and 2 appearances in 41 say he has earned the hearing.
1 kept out in the shoot-out, and a stadium that will still be describing them in twenty years. A goalkeeper only needs one of these to be remembered forever.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Levadia can pretend not to have heard.
He found out with everybody else, an hour before kick-off, from a sheet of paper on a wall. Nobody at Levadia pretended it was anything other than a decision about him.
“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 Levadia, and 2 appearances in 37 say he has earned the hearing.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Levadia, and both men came out saying it was fine.
A window away with the national side, and a shirt at Levadia that briefly doubles as an advertisement. A call-up flatters the player and the club that built him in the same breath.
A window away with the national side, and a shirt at Levadia that briefly doubles as an advertisement. A call-up flatters the player and the club that built him in the same breath.
“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 Levadia, and 2 appearances in 33 say he has earned the hearing.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Levadia, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Levadia, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Levadia, and both men came out saying it was fine.
27 years old, every age group at this club behind him, and a borrowed player of much the same standard in front of him every Saturday. The parents in the stand have noticed, and so has every kid below him.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Levadia can pretend not to have heard.
Michal Leibl is 35 and has run out of things to prove. What he has left is where to stand, when to slow it down and what to say at half-time, and none of that is on a fitness chart.
He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Levadia have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Levadia have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“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 Levadia, and 2 appearances in 29 say he has earned the hearing.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Levadia have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Levadia have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Levadia can pretend not to have heard.
“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 Levadia, and 2 appearances in 25 say he has earned the hearing.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Levadia, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The name of Silver Sappinen has come up in conversations Levadia were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Levadia, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Levadia can pretend not to have heard.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Levadia, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Levadia they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Levadia have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
2 kept out in the shoot-out, and a stadium that will still be describing them in twenty years. A goalkeeper only needs one of these to be remembered forever.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Levadia have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
The name of Silver Sappinen has come up in conversations Levadia were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Levadia can pretend not to have heard.
A defender's mistake gets tidied up by somebody else; a goalkeeper's ends up in the net. He knew before the ball crossed the line, and so did everybody in the ground.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Levadia have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
An error at the back is a moment; an error in goal is a goal. Daniil Pareiko knows it, the crowd knew it instantly, and there was nobody behind him to make it anything else.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Levadia have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Levadia can pretend not to have heard.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Levadia, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
The award is a small thing with a heavy meaning: for four weeks nobody in this division did his job better. Levadia have the trophy on a shelf and the player in the side.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Levadia have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Levadia have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Levadia have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Nikita Puri is 16, and Levadia have signed him for the player he will be rather than the one he is. The first team can wait; the point of a deal like this is the years it buys.
Martin Vassiljev is 17, and Levadia have signed him for the player he will be rather than the one he is. The first team can wait; the point of a deal like this is the years it buys.
“I will know when it is time. I am not there yet.” Sergei Klavan is 34, with 0 appearances behind him, and Levadia will have to plan for whichever answer comes.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Levadia, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The message was aimed at the stands as much as the dressing room: Pa Modou Sohna plays, and the argument is closed until the manager decides otherwise.
Levadia spent the window trying to move Sergei Klavan 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.
“I will know when it is time. I am not there yet.” Brent Sappinen is 35, with 0 appearances behind him, and Levadia will have to plan for whichever answer comes.
Market8 Feb 2027
The window shut and Brent Sappinen is still in the building
Levadia spent a month trying to move him and nobody rang back. He trains with a squad that has told him where he stands, and both sides start counting down to the next one.
A season-long audition: Sillamae Kalev still own him, but the shirt and the minutes are Levadia's to give. A loan is a bet both clubs believe they are winning.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Levadia can pretend not to have heard.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Levadia, and both men came out saying it was fine.
A new face in his position, and Nikita Dmitrijev suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. Levadia have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Levadia, and both men came out saying it was fine.
He came through the session, took part in everything and finished it smiling. Levadia will not rush him, and he will spend the next fortnight trying to rush them.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Levadia, and both men came out saying it was fine.
He came through the session, took part in everything and finished it smiling. Levadia will not rush him, and he will spend the next fortnight trying to rush them.
Public backing, and the sort that costs a manager something if it turns out to be wrong. Sergei Klavan has been told in front of everybody that the shirt is his.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Levadia, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Levadia, and both men came out saying it was fine.
This is the season the town will measure the next twenty against. The trophy travels home with the squad, and the route through the streets was agreed days ago.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 12 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
3 wins on the spin now, and the question has changed from whether the run ends to who ends it. Confidence like this cannot be bought; it has to be earned exactly this way.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Levadia, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Levadia, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Public backing, and the sort that costs a manager something if it turns out to be wrong. Taijo Sorga has been told in front of everybody that the shirt is his.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Levadia, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Levadia spent the window trying to move Petteri Pohjanpalo 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.
Public backing, and the sort that costs a manager something if it turns out to be wrong. Taijo Sorga has been told in front of everybody that the shirt is his.
“Ask me in the summer. I will know before anybody else does.” He is 34 with 0 appearances behind him, and Levadia have to plan for both answers.
Market7 Sep 2026
The window shut and Mihkel Pikk is still in the building
Levadia spent a month trying to move him and nobody rang back. He trains with a squad that has told him where he stands, and both sides start counting down to the next one.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Levadia can pretend not to have heard.
He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Levadia have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
Public backing, and the sort that costs a manager something if it turns out to be wrong. Liliu Liivak has been told in front of everybody that the shirt is his.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Levadia can pretend not to have heard.
“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at Levadia has been clear about where Brent Sappinen stands, which is more than many ever get.