Raio Piiroja
Encyclopedia
Raio Piiroja is an Estonia
n professional footballer, who plays in the Eredivisie
for Vitesse. He plays the position of centre back and is also the captain of the Estonian national football team
.
before joining FC Flora Tallinn
under then manager Teitur Thordarson. He then joined Vålerenga IF in Norway
on loan before signing a permanent contract with Fredrikstad. In season 2006, he scored two goals in the Norwegian Football Cup
final against Sandefjord Fotball
in a 3–0 victory. In the end of the 2010 season, Piiroja scored 2 goals in the playoffs for promotion to the Norwegian Premier League against Hönefoss BK.
He is known for his impressing ability in the air, winning headers.
As a captain for the Estonia national football team
, Raio is always in the heart of the defense. As he is the captain of the squad, he is a central figure in all of their games – always fighting to give his all on the pitch and motivate his team not to give in.
, Piiroja has been capped
108 times, scoring 8 goals. He made his 100th appearance in a 2–0 friendly win over Uruguay
.
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
n professional footballer, who plays in the Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
for Vitesse. He plays the position of centre back and is also the captain of the Estonian national football team
Estonia national football team
The Estonia national football team represents Estonia in international association football. Team members are selected by the head coach of Estonian Football Association . Estonia play their home matches at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....
.
Club career
He started his career in PärnuPärnu
Pärnu is a city in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. It is a popular summer vacation resort with many hotels, restaurants, and large beaches. The Pärnu River flows through the city and drains into the Gulf of Riga...
before joining FC Flora Tallinn
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...
under then manager Teitur Thordarson. He then joined Vålerenga IF in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
on loan before signing a permanent contract with Fredrikstad. In season 2006, he scored two goals in the Norwegian Football Cup
Norwegian football cup
The Norwegian Football Cup is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football tournament in the country. The tournament is commonly known as Cupen or NM, an acronym formed...
final against Sandefjord Fotball
Sandefjord Fotball
Sandefjord Fotball is a Norwegian professional football club, founded on September 10, 1998. The club plays in the Adeccoligaen. Their home ground is the Komplett.no Arena, located in Sandefjord, Vestfold....
in a 3–0 victory. In the end of the 2010 season, Piiroja scored 2 goals in the playoffs for promotion to the Norwegian Premier League against Hönefoss BK.
He is known for his impressing ability in the air, winning headers.
As a captain for the Estonia national football team
Estonia national football team
The Estonia national football team represents Estonia in international association football. Team members are selected by the head coach of Estonian Football Association . Estonia play their home matches at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....
, Raio is always in the heart of the defense. As he is the captain of the squad, he is a central figure in all of their games – always fighting to give his all on the pitch and motivate his team not to give in.
International career
For EstoniaEstonia national football team
The Estonia national football team represents Estonia in international association football. Team members are selected by the head coach of Estonian Football Association . Estonia play their home matches at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....
, Piiroja has been capped
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
108 times, scoring 8 goals. He made his 100th appearance in a 2–0 friendly win over Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 September 1999 | Svangaskarð, Toftir Toftir Toftir is a village in Nes Municipality on the island of Eysturoy, in the Faroe Islands .Toftir is part of a chain of villages stretching over a distance of 10 kilometres on the east side of Skálafjørður on Eysturoy.... |
2–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying | |
| 2 | 11 June 2000 | Kadrioru Stadium, Tallinn Tallinn Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list... |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly match | |
| 3 | 28 March 2001 | Tsirion Athletic Centre, Limassol Limassol Limassol is the second-largest city in Cyprus, with a population of 228,000 . It is the largest city in geographical size, and the biggest municipality on the island. The city is located on Akrotiri Bay, on the island's southern coast and it is the capital of Limassol District.Limassol is the... |
2–2 | 2–2 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification A total of 199 teams entered the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 32 spots in the final tournament. and , as the co-hosts, and , as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 29 spots open for competition.... |
|
| 4 | 16 February 2004 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, La Valletta | 2–2 | 2–5 | 2004 Malta Tournament | |
| 5 | 22 August 2007 | A. Le Coq Arena A. Le Coq Arena A. Le Coq Arena is a football stadium in Tallinn, Estonia. As well as football matches, it also hosts various concerts and events. According to the plan, the stadium is unfinished.... , Tallinn Tallinn Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list... |
1–0 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying | |
| 6 | 12 September 2007 | Gradski Stadion Skopje, Skopje Skopje Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre... |
1–0 | 1–1 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying | |
| 7 | 14 October 2009 | A. Le Coq Arena A. Le Coq Arena A. Le Coq Arena is a football stadium in Tallinn, Estonia. As well as football matches, it also hosts various concerts and events. According to the plan, the stadium is unfinished.... , Tallinn Tallinn Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list... |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification The qualification competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament... |
|
| 8 | 11 August 2010 | A. Le Coq Arena A. Le Coq Arena A. Le Coq Arena is a football stadium in Tallinn, Estonia. As well as football matches, it also hosts various concerts and events. According to the plan, the stadium is unfinished.... , Tallinn Tallinn Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list... |
2–1 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
Club
| Season | Club | Country | Level | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011/2012 | Vitesse |  |
I | 2 | 0 |
| 2011 | Fredrikstad FK |  |
I Norwegian Premier League Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official... |
15 | 0 |
| 2010 | Fredrikstad FK | |
II Adeccoligaen The Norwegian First Division is the second highest division of the Norwegian football league system. Since 2005, the official name of the league has been Adeccoligaen.... |
28 | 4 |
| 2009 | Fredrikstad FK | |
I Norwegian Premier League Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official... |
25 | 2 |
| 2008 | Fredrikstad FK | |
I Norwegian Premier League Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official... |
23 | 2 |
| 2007 | Fredrikstad FK | |
I Norwegian Premier League Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official... |
22 | 3 |
| 2006 | Fredrikstad FK | |
I Norwegian Premier League Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official... |
25 | 0 |
| 2005 | Fredrikstad FK | |
I Norwegian Premier League Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official... |
12 | 1 |
| 2004 | Fredrikstad FK | |
I Norwegian Premier League Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official... |
9 | 0 |
| 2004 | FC Flora Tallinn 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... |
 |
I Meistriliiga Meistriliiga is the highest division of the Estonian Football Association annual football championship. The league was founded in 1991 and the current, 2011 is the league's 21st season... |
15 | 1 |
| 2003 | Vålerenga IF | |
I Norwegian Premier League Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official... |
11 | 1 |
| 2002 | FC Flora Tallinn 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... |
|
I Meistriliiga Meistriliiga is the highest division of the Estonian Football Association annual football championship. The league was founded in 1991 and the current, 2011 is the league's 21st season... |
26 | 9 |
| 2001 | FC Flora Tallinn 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... |
|
I Meistriliiga Meistriliiga is the highest division of the Estonian Football Association annual football championship. The league was founded in 1991 and the current, 2011 is the league's 21st season... |
24 | 2 |
| 2000 | FC Flora Tallinn 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... |
|
I Meistriliiga Meistriliiga is the highest division of the Estonian Football Association annual football championship. The league was founded in 1991 and the current, 2011 is the league's 21st season... |
26 | 1 |
| 1999 | FC Flora Tallinn 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... |
|
I Meistriliiga Meistriliiga is the highest division of the Estonian Football Association annual football championship. The league was founded in 1991 and the current, 2011 is the league's 21st season... |
11 | 1 |
| 1999 | Lelle SK | |
IV | 7 | 2 |
| 1998 | Lelle SK | |
IV | 6 | 1 |
| 1997 | Lelle SK | |
IV | 7 | 8 |
| 1996 | JK Tervis Pärnu JK Tervis Pärnu JK Tervis Pärnu is a now defunct Estonian football team from Pärnu, that used to play in various Estonian divisions, including Meistriliiga. Its club colors were white, black, and blue... |
|
III | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | JK Tervis Pärnu JK Tervis Pärnu JK Tervis Pärnu is a now defunct Estonian football team from Pärnu, that used to play in various Estonian divisions, including Meistriliiga. Its club colors were white, black, and blue... |
|
III | 8 | 1 |
Club
- FC Flora TallinnFC Flora TallinnMTÜ 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...
- Estonian Top DivisionMeistriliigaMeistriliiga is the highest division of the Estonian Football Association annual football championship. The league was founded in 1991 and the current, 2011 is the league's 21st season...
: 2001, 2002- Runners Up: 2000
- Estonian CupEstonian CupThe Estonian Cup is the main "knockout" cup competition in Estonian football.The competition is a knockout tournament.The winner will compete in UEFA Europa League qualification round.-Finals:* As Levadia Maardu...
- Runners Up: 2001
- Estonian SuperCupEstonian SuperCupThe Estonian SuperCup is a one-match competition, held annually between last year's Meistriliiga champion and current year's Estonian Cup winner. Reigning champion is FC Levadia Tallinn.- Winners :...
: 2002- Runners Up: 1999
- Estonian Top Division
- Fredrikstad FK
- Norwegian Top DivisionTippeligaenTippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
- Runners Up: 2008
- Norwegian CupNorwegian football cupThe Norwegian Football Cup is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football tournament in the country. The tournament is commonly known as Cupen or NM, an acronym formed...
: 2006
- Norwegian Top Division