FC Flora Tallinn

MTÜ JK FC Flora is an Estonian football club that was founded in 1990. FC Flora are a multiple winner of the Meistriliiga title and the Estonian Cup. They have for years been raising the most number of players for the national team, and have also grown players from their successful youth system that have had a good career abroad. These players include for example Mart Poom, Andres Oper, Raio Piiroja, Ragnar Klavan. FC Flora have also developed many players that have gone on and brought success to other Estonian clubs.

History

The club was founded in 1990. Flora played their first season in the second division of Estonian SSR championship. The club was mostly packed with former Tallinna Lõvid players.

In 1994, Flora won their first Meistriliiga title under rather controversial circumstances, when the Estonian FA decided to disqualify the leaders Tevalte Tallinn on match-fixing allegations that were never proven. The title was then decided in a championship playoff, since Norma and Flora finished level on points. But, as a protest against the disqualification of Tevalte, Norma Tallinn decided to field their youth squad and lost the game 2–5. Flora went on to secure the title the following season.Flora won their 8-th Meistriliiga title in 2010 after 7 years without winning.

In the summer of 1998, Flora, the newly-crowned Meistriliiga champions, played AC Milan in a friendly in Sicilia. Flora shocked Milan, who fielded most of their star players, on the 16th minute when they took an unlikely lead through Urmas Kirs' header after Marko Kristal's corner. Milan equalized on 36 minutes, through George Weah's close-range header. The Italian giants scored their second of the night six minutes later to take a 2–1 lead, when Zvonimir Boban sent the ball past Toomas Tohver. Oliver Bierhoff came close to adding a third for Milan in the second half, but saw his one-on-one effort denied by the Estonian goalkeeper. The score remained unchanged for the rest of the game.^[3]

Farm clubs

As the only government-supported team in Estonia, Flora own and operate several reserve teams and farm clubs in different divisions. Tulevik Viljandi, one of the founding members of the Estonian Meistriliiga, the top tier of Estonian league system, are owned by FC Flora. Players who haven't made a sufficient impact at the club, are often sent over to play out the rest of their contracts at Tulevik. Tervis Pärnu, Flora's reserve team until 2005, was disbanded and replaced with FC Flora II ahead of the 2006 season. Upon their relegation from the Meistriliiga, Valga Warrior have been used as the club's second reserve team, one step behind the Flora's second team. In addition to Flora II and Valga Warrior, Flora own three more clubs in the Esiliiga, second overall tier (FC Kuressaare, Flora's second biggest farm club, Flora Paide and Flora Rakvere), three in the Second League (FC Elva, JK Viljandi Tulevik II, and FC Valga Warrior II), two in the Third League (FC Elva II and FC Flora Järva-Jaani SK) and one in the Fourth League (FC Flora Rapla).

Stadium

FC Flora's main rivals are FC Levadia, JK Sillamäe Kalev and FC Narva Trans, last two mentioned come from the Ida-Viru County, Flora and Levadia are based in Tallinn. Flora's home stadium is a recently built A. Le Coq Arena which holds a capacity of 9,300 and has an under-soil heating system. The stadium complex also holds many training pitches with natural but also with artificial turf. There are short-term plans to add a full-sized indoor training pitch.^{[4] [5]}

Achievements

• Meistriliiga: (9)^[6]

1993–94, 1994–95, 1997–98, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2010, 2011

• Estonian Cup: (5)^[7]

1994–95, 1997–98, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11

• Estonian SuperCup: (6)^[8]

1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2011

FC Flora in Estonian Football

C = Championship Group; E = Eastern Zone

UEFA club competition results

1Q – 1st Qualifying Round; 2Q – 2nd Qualifying Round

Players

Current squad

As of 15 December 2011.^[9]

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Unknown status

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Players on trial

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Reserves

As of 15 December 2011.^[10] Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Notable former players

See also: Category:FC Flora Tallinn players

• A complete list of all the Club's former players can be found here

Player records

As of match played 13 November 2010.^[11] Players in bold are currently playing for the team.

Most league appearances

Most league goals

Coaches

See also: Category:FC Flora Tallinn managers^[12]

References

External links

• Official website (Estonian)
• UEFA.com entry