Pärnu JK Vaprus

Year founded: 1922
Residency: Pärnu, Estonia
Finished last year: #7 (9-8-19)
Head coach: Igor Prins (EST)
Home ground: Pärnu Rannastaadion
Stadium capacity: 1501
Fanclub: Vaprad Karud
UEFA Coefficient: 1.267
Trophy cabinet: Esiliiga (second tier; 2005, 2020)

  • All Posts
  • A lyga
  • Baltic Cup
  • Baltic Women's League
  • Conference League
  • Esiliiga
  • Estonia
  • Estonians abroad
  • Europa League
  • FIFA World Cup
  • Friendlies
  • Insights
  • Latvia
  • Latvian Cup
  • Latvians abroad
  • Lithuania
  • Lithuanian Cup
  • Lithuanians abroad
  • Livonia Cup
  • Livonia winter league
  • Nākotnes līga
  • Pirma Lyga
  • Premium liiga
  • Transfers
  • UEFA
  • UEFA Nations League
  • Virsliga
  • Women's Football

About the club

Pärnu JK Vaprus is a professional football club from Estonia located in Pärnu – the “summer capital” of Estonia. Vaprus was formed back in May 1922, as Sporting Society Vaprus, which competed in the local Pärnu football championships, winning in 1927 and 1934. In 1937, Vaprus merged with several other local sporting clubs to form Pärnu Kalev. The club ceased to exist after WW2 and during subsequent Soviet occupation.

The club was re-established in 1999 when Aleksandr Padu, who was a Vaprus forward during the time of the first Estonian Republic (1932-1936) and Reigo Tõnsberg met at the Kalevi Stadium in Pärnu and came up with the idea of reviving the Vaprus Sports Club. With the financial backing of businessman Ivo Tah, the statutes of the reincarnated JK Vaprus were approved and the club was officially registered the following year.

In 2003, several local clubs merged with Vaprus, including a former top league club Pärnu Levadia, forming the football club we see today.

Vaprus won the 2005 Esiliiga season and, for the first time got promoted to the Estonian top tier. This, however, did not last and, after three years in the Premium liiga, they were relegated back to the Esiliiga.

In 2010, Vaprus merged with Pärnu JK and Pärnu Kalev to form a new team – Pärnu Linnameeskond. The old Vaprus continued to operate in youth football until 2014, when they entered back in the Estonian football pyramid with their senior team. Pärnu Linnameeskond reached the Estonian top flight in the 2015, but ceased to operate at the end of 2016 season and Pärnu JK Vaprus inherited their league spot for 2017 season.

Vaprus returned to the top-flight in a newly renovated stadium and, even though they finished last in their next two league campaigns, they managed to avoid relegation thanks to financial problems of other teams. After finishing last twice in a row, drastic changes were made at the club. Former Estonian NT member and local Pärnu footballer Igor Prins was appointed as the new manager and led Pärnu JK Vaprus to their highest finish ever in their Premium liiga history – 6th place in 2023.

# Club GP W D L +/- Pts
1 FCI Levadia 36 27 6 3 63 87
2 Paide 36 21 9 6 35 72
3 Nõmme Kalju FC 36 23 3 10 35 72
4 FC Flora 36 21 7 8 26 70
5 JK Tammeka 36 11 9 16 -7 42
6 JK Narva Trans 36 10 12 14 -15 42
7 Pärnu JK Vaprus 36 9 8 19 -22 35
8 FC Kuressaare 36 8 10 18 -21 34
9 JK Tallinna Kalev 36 8 7 21 -37 31
10 FC Nõmme United 36 2 9 25 -57 15