Harju JK Laagri, which earned promotion to the Premium Liiga by winning the Esiliiga, announced that Lauri Nuuma, the club’s sports director and assistant manager over the past few years, will replace long-serving Portuguese manager Victor Silva.
The club’s CEO, Kalmar Liiv, stated, “For us, it seemed like the next logical step to combine the roles of sports director and head coach and start a new chapter. We are confident that we have made the right choice! Work is underway behind the scenes, and the team will gather in early January.”
He further commented, “Lauri is a coach with extensive experience in Estonia and abroad. Notably, he spent two seasons in the Finnish Premier League. Lauri graduated from the University of Lisbon’s football department and has coached various age groups in Portugal. At the end of 2024, he also obtained the UEFA Pro coaching qualification and contributed significantly to Harju’s playing methodology, style, and DNA.”
Nuuma shared his perspective: “After evaluating different options, we concluded that our focus should not be on drastically changing the process but maximizing the existing player and staff resources. After several years of laying the foundation, continuing in a similar direction made sense. While being a head coach is new for me, it presents a challenge in a familiar environment, where we are committed to maintaining our place in the Premium League by 2026.”
“We have many talented players in the club who are dedicated and possess the quality to achieve positive results next season. While some new members are joining the staff, we aim to retain the team’s backbone and strengthen key positions. Our goal is to be competitive in every match and to provide the Ultras, our fans, and the entire community with exciting experiences in 2025!”
We have many players with good potential in the club who are committed and have the quality to show results next season. Some new faces are joining the staff, but we want to maintain the team’s backbone and supplement the key positions. The goal is to be competitive in every game and offer the Ultras, other fans, and the entire community great emotions in 2025!”
Portuguese manager Victor Silva, who had been Harju’s coach since 2018, left in November after a mutual agreement.