Estonia head coach Jürgen Henn believes the upcoming UEFA Nations League campaign will provide an important measure of the national team’s recent development as they prepare to open their campaign away against Iceland on Saturday.
Speaking ahead of the match in Reykjavik, Henn confirmed that Estonia have no fresh injury concerns. All players were fit and available ahead of the team’s final training session before the game. The Estonia coach expects Iceland to provide a physical and intense test and stressed that his side must recognise when to play directly and when to remain patient in possession.
“We need to recognise the moments when Iceland press – when to be direct and when to be patient,” Henn said. “They will certainly want to dominate, but if we cannot keep possession ourselves, it will become difficult for us.
“They have their own style of play. They are physical, intense and strong in duels. They don’t let up for 90 minutes. Hopefully, we will also be able to identify and exploit their weaknesses tomorrow.”
Estonia will face Iceland, Bulgaria and Luxembourg twice during the Nations League campaign, and Henn sees the six matches as an opportunity to assess whether the work carried out over recent years is now producing tangible results.
“All six games are important. For me, it is important to look forward and towards teams above us, especially considering the changes to the Nations League format,” Henn explained.
“You can look behind and worry about someone overtaking you, or you can look forward. One approach holds you back, while the other is positive. If we want to achieve something from this campaign, we have to keep our standards high. We feel that we have taken steps forward, but now we need to see those steps reflected on the pitch.”
Henn also discussed Iceland’s development as a footballing nation and believes their success has been built around understanding the characteristics of their players and creating a system that suits them.
“The biggest thing is that they have understood what type of people and footballers they have,” Henn said. “Their whole football system has moved in that direction. They have used their small size as an advantage in terms of being able to work together, while also focusing on educating coaches and creating good conditions. That is the foundation.”
Estonia captain Karol Mets said the squad have established their own targets for the campaign, although he kept the public message relatively simple.
“The way I would communicate it to the media is that we want to get points and achieve a result in every game,” Mets said. “And, of course, we also want to show good football.”
Mets was also asked about Rocco Robert Shein, who asked not to be selected for the current international window. The captain insisted the situation has not become a distraction within the squad.
“That topic is behind us,” Mets said. “I don’t feel or see that there has been much discussion about it within the team. On the other hand, it gives opportunities to other players, but it hasn’t affected us or knocked us off course in any way.”
Having played alongside and against several Icelandic players during his club career, Mets highlighted their mentality, work rate and competitiveness as particularly notable qualities.
“I don’t know exactly what they systematically do, but they are clearly doing something very well,” Mets said. “They are very tough, have a high work rate and a very good work ethic. You can see that they want to improve themselves and play with a lot of passion.”
Estonia arrived in Reykjavik after travelling from Tallinn via Warsaw and landing late at night, but Mets dismissed concerns that the journey or time difference could have a significant impact.
“I feel good. I actually just had an hour’s sleep,” Mets joked. “The journey was as good as it could have been. We have to deal with the time difference, but that is the same for everyone who comes to play in Iceland. We have been able to train a lot, watch video, learn about the opposition and spend time together. It has been a good period, and hopefully that will now translate into a result.”
Mets believes the current Iceland squad is particularly dangerous because of its younger, hungry generation, but remains confident Estonia have identified areas they can exploit.
“We have noticed that and put emphasis on it,” Mets said. “It is difficult to take everything away from them because they have many good players in every line, but we have our ideas. If we stick to our tactical plan well tomorrow, I think we will have a very good chance.”
Estonia’s opening Nations League match against Iceland kicks off on Saturday at 19:00 Baltic time.
