FC Kuressaare

Last updated
Kuressaare
Kuressaare.png
Full nameFC Kuressaare
Nickname(s)Kure
Viikingid (The Vikings) [1]
Founded14 March 1997;28 years ago (1997-03-14) [1]
Ground Kuressaare linnastaadion [2]
Capacity2,000 [3]
PresidentPriit Penu [1]
Manager Sander Post
League Meistriliiga
2024 Meistriliiga, 8th of 10
Website http://www.fckuressaare.ee

FC Kuressaare, commonly known as Kuressaare, is an Estonian professional football club based in Kuressaare, Saaremaa island. The club's home ground is Kuressaare linnastaadion.

Contents

Founded on 14 March 1997, the club competes in the Meistriliiga, the top tier of Estonian football. Kuressaare debuted in the Estonian top division in 2000 and were known as a yo-yo club throughout the first decade of the 21st century, as they were promoted and relegated for eight consecutive seasons. Since then, the club has played in the Meistriliiga in 2009–2013 and again since 2018.

History

Early history

Kuressaare was founded on 14 March 1997. Its predecessor was a youth club B.B. Sport, coached by Johannes Kaju. Kuressaare joined the Estonian football league system and began competing in the Western division of the III liiga. The club's first president and manager was Aivar Pohlak.

Kuressaare was promoted to the Esiliiga for the 1998 season and finished in 6th place under the new manager Jan Važinski. Most of the team were Saaremaa locals who were reinforced by players from Kuressaare's parent club Flora. Kuressaare won the Esiliiga in the 1999 season and was promoted to the Meistriliiga.

Kuressaare finished the 2000 season, its maiden season in the Estonian top-flight, in 7th place. The club finished the 2001 season in 10th place under new manager Zaur Tšilingarašvili and was relegated to the Esiliiga. In 2002, Sergei Zamogilnõi was hired as manager. Kuressaare finished the 2002 season as runners-up, qualifying to the promotion play-offs. Kuressaare won the play-offs against Lootus and returned to the Meistriliiga. Kuressaare's stay in the top-flight was cut short again as the club finished the 2003 season in 8th place and was relegated. The team was restructured in 2004, using players from reserve team Sörve and was promoted back to the Meistriliiga despite finishing in 5th place due to the expansion of the league.

The 2005 season was the most successful in the club's earlier history, winning 7 and drawing 6 matches out of 36. The 8–1 victory over Dünamo became the new club record. Despite that, the team finished 9th and was relegated after losing the relegation play-offs against Ajax. Kuressaare earned its way back to the Meistriliiga in the 2006 season, but was once again relegated in the following Meistriliiga season. The team finished the 2008 season as runners-up and was promoted to the Meistriliiga. Kuressaare remained in the Meistriliiga for the next five seasons from 2009 to 2013, when the club was relegated to Esiliiga after finishing the season in 10th place. [4] After the 2015 season, Kuressaare were relegated to Esiliiga B, which they won the following season.

Return to top-flight football

Kuressaare linnastaadion has been the club's home ground since their founding Kuressaare staadion, enhanced.jpg
Kuressaare linnastaadion has been the club's home ground since their founding

After finishing 5th in the Estonian second tier Esiliiga during the 2017 season, FC Kuressaare were unexpectedly offered the chance to return to Meistriliiga, due to FC Infonet and Sillamäe Kalev leaving top-flight football and Maardu Linnameeskond and Rakvere Tarvas, who both finished in front of Kuressaare in the 2017 Esiliiga season, opting to not fill the vacant Meistriliiga spots. Jan Važinski returned to the manager role and Kuressaare finished the 2018 Meistriliiga season in ninth place, beating FC Elva in the relegation play-offs to maintain their spot in Estonian top-flight football. The following 2019 season concluded in a similar way, with Kuressaare finishing in ninth place and this time beating Pärnu Vaprus in the play-offs.

With the introduction of solidarity mechanisms in 2020, Marco Lukka became the first ever fully professional football player of the club. [5] Kuressaare also appointed Roman Kozhukhovskyi as the manager. Again, Kuressaare finished the season in 9th place and won the relegation play-offs against Maardu. The 2021 season proved to be successful for the club, as they finished in seventh place. Otto-Robert Lipp's goal against FC Flora in their 2–2 draw also won the Meistriliiga's 'goal of the season' award.

The 2022 season was the most successful in FC Kuressaare's history, as the club finished 5th and accumulated 50 points in 36 matches.

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

PeriodKit manufacturerShirt sponsorRef
2013–2018 Joma Saaremaa Lihatööstus [6]
2019 Nike Euronics
2020–2023
2023–Visit Saaremaa

Players

First-team squad

As of 25 August 2025. [7]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
1 GK Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Magnus Karofeld
5 MF Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Sander Sinilaid
7 MF Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Artjom Jermatsenko
8 MF Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Joonas Soomre
10 FW Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Andero Kivi
11 MF Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Aleksander Iljin
13 FW Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Aston Visse
14 DF Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Joosep Kobin
15 DF Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Märten Pajunurm
16 MF Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Andrei Smirnov
17 FW Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Gleb Pevtsov
19 DF Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Matvei Jekimov(on loan from FC Tallinn )
20 MF Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Pavel Dõmov
No.Pos.NationPlayer
21 FW Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Rico Randväli(on loan from Flora U21 )
23 DF Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Rasmus Saar
24 DF Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Oscar Pihela(on loan from Flora )
27 MF Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Sten Patrick Prunn(on loan from Flora )
31 GK Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Karl-Romet Nõmm
37 MF Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Markus Leivategija
55 MF Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Raian Soosalu(on loan from Flora U21 )
66 GK Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Rihard Meesit
67 MF Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Ilja Antonov
70 DF Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Joonas Vahermägi
73 DF Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Karl Orren
77 FW Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Jevgeni Demidov
80 MF Flag of Estonia.svg  EST Rando Tarkmeel

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer

Reserves and academy

Personnel

Honours

League

Seasons and statistics

SeasonDivisionPosPldWDLGFGAGDPtsTop goalscorer Cup
1997–98 III liiga (W)16510183+1516 Flag of Estonia.svg Toivo Alt (8) First round
1998 Esiliiga 6144552019+117 Flag of Lithuania.svg Svajūnas Rauckis (8)
1999 12821439225+6767 Flag of Lithuania.svg Svajūnas Rauckis (27) Fourth round
2000 Meistriliiga 72854192568−4319 Flag of Estonia.svg Risto Kallaste
Flag of Estonia.svg Tarmo Saks (5)
Third round
2001 828212518114−967 Flag of Estonia.svg Tiit Tikenberg (5) Quarter-finals
2002 Esiliiga22817298250+3253 Flag of Estonia.svg Tarmo Neemelo (21) Second round
2003 Meistriliiga828122511121–1105 Flag of Estonia.svg Tiit Tikenberg (3) Second round
2004 Esiliiga528112155670−1435 Flag of Estonia.svg Martti Pukk (13) Quarter-finals
2005 Meistriliiga93676234096−5627 Flag of Estonia.svg Martti Pukk (11) Second round
2006 Esiliiga23622596444+2071 Flag of Estonia.svg Rainer Veskimäe (12) Quarter-finals
2007 Meistriliiga93653282594−6918 Flag of Estonia.svg Dmitri Kulikov (5) Third round
2008 Esiliiga23620976735+3269 Flag of Estonia.svg Martti Pukk (14) Third round
2009 Meistriliiga83673262199−7824 Flag of Russia.svg Dmitri Skiperski (8) Fourth round
2010 93673263293−6124 Flag of Russia.svg Dmitri Skiperski (9) Fourth round
2011 93675242868−4026 Flag of Estonia.svg Martti Pukk (8) Third round
2012 836511203180−4926 Flag of Estonia.svg Andre Ilves (6) Fourth round
2013 103625292287−6511 Flag of Estonia.svg Andre Ilves
Flag of Estonia.svg Karl Mööl
Flag of Estonia.svg Elari Valmas (4)
Second round
2014 Esiliiga636145176981−1247 Flag of Estonia.svg Tõnis Koppel
Flag of Estonia.svg Sander Laht
Flag of Estonia.svg Maarek Suursaar (10)
Quarter-finals
2015 1036107194895−4737 Flag of Estonia.svg Sander Laht (14) Third round
2016 Esiliiga B 136237611748+6976 Flag of Estonia.svg Maarek Suursaar (33) Third round
2017 Esiliiga536174157063+755 Flag of Estonia.svg Sander Laht (17) Quarter-finals
2018 Meistriliiga936632734115−8121 Flag of Estonia.svg Sander Laht (15) Quarter-finals
2019 93665252487−6323 Flag of Estonia.svg Märten Pajunurm (7) Third round
2020 93059162863−3524 Flag of Estonia.svg Sander Laht (6) Third round
2021 730104163947−834 Flag of Estonia.svg Mattias Männilaan (11) Fourth round
2022 5361311124951−250 Flag of Estonia.svg Sten Reinkort (15) Third round
2023 736127173660−2443 Flag of Estonia.svg Mattias Männilaan (8) Quarter-finals
2024 836810184667−2134 Flag of Estonia.svg Mattias Männilaan (10) Quarter-finals

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Klubi". FC Kuressaare.
  2. "Staadion". FC Kuressaare. Archived from the original on 2019-10-22. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
  3. "Kuressaare Linnastaadion" (in Estonian). Spordiregister.ee.
  4. "Ajalugu" (in Estonian). FC Kuressaare. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  5. "Värskest Eesti meistrist sai FC Kuressaare esimene profimängija". ERR (in Estonian). 5 December 2019.
  6. "FC Kuressaare Kit History". Football Kit Archive. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
  7. "FC Kuressaare" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association. Retrieved 7 March 2019.