Paide Linnameeskond supporter and football memorabilia collector Chris Murro has been turning heads this summer after acquiring one of Estonian Football Association president Aivar Pohlak’s legendary sheepskin vests.
The gift was made back in May, when Murro was invited to the VIP area of Tallinn’s A. Le Coq Arena during the Estonian Cup final. In conversation, Pohlak asked the lifelong fan if there was a particular item of clothing he most wanted for his collection. Murro’s answer was immediate: the sheepskin vest that Pohlak has become famous for wearing.
Pohlak duly obliged, handing over the garment as a personal gift. For Murro, who already owns an extensive collection of football shirts and accessories, it was the ultimate prize. “This vest will hold pride of place in my collection – the cherry on the cake,” he told Järva Teataja at the time. Pohlak himself admitted the gesture carried weight, noting that although he has given away such items before, each occasion feels special. “These vests are like my children,” he said, adding that the one gifted to Murro was the very last he had worn.
In recent weeks, however, the story has sparked widespread interest, with coverage in multiple Estonian outlets leading to unexpected attention for Murro. He says he has since been contacted by several people making offers to buy or borrow the vest.
“I’ve politely turned everyone down, explaining that the vest is of priceless value to me. It’s not for sale and it’s not for loan,” Murro stressed in a new interview with Järva Teataja. Despite not paying a cent for the item, he insists he has no intention of ever cashing in on it.
The story also underlines just how deeply entwined Pohlak has become with the fabric of Estonian football. His eccentric sheepskin vest has become a cultural shorthand for his long tenure, one that stretches back to the 1990s and has made him one of the most recognisable—and polarising—figures in the country’s sporting life. Some critics argue that his seemingly unshakable position as federation president and family ties with Flora FC creates the impression of a leader-for-life, while symbolic gestures like this gift can feel like part of a personality cult.
For Murro, though, the vest is not about politics or power, but about passion. It represents both his love for the game and a personal moment with Estonian football’s dominant figure. Whether others see it as a quaint story or as another sign of Pohlak’s outsized presence, the sheepskin vest remains firmly in Murro’s hands—and, he says, there it will stay.
Source: https://soccernet.ee/artikkel/kollektsionaar-on-pohlaku-vesti-tahtjatega-kimpus
