Tartu Tammeka have announced the appointment of Karel Voolaid as their new head coach following an eighth-place finish in the Estonian Premium Liiga last season. The 48-year-old has signed a three-year contract with the club.
Voolaid, who has previously worked in Estonia, Finland and Latvia and has also led the Estonian national team, said he was pleased to join what he described as an ambitious club with a strong history. “I was impressed by the club board’s analysis of the current situation and its vision for developing Tammeka’s strategic football direction,” Voolaid said on the club’s website.
He added that Tammeka has played an important role in the development of football in Tartu and across Estonia. “The club has produced players, coaches and football supporters. I believe that together with the players, staff, board members, supporters and the wider community, we can add new positive chapters to the club’s history. I’m looking forward to starting work and contributing to the development of football in Tartu and southern Estonia.”
Club president Kaarel Kiidron described Voolaid as the experienced and ambitious coach Tammeka had been seeking. “Karel brings extensive international experience to the team and to the club’s top-football project as a whole. This can benefit both our current and future players and coaches,” Kiidron said. He added that, following several in-depth discussions, the club board was confident Voolaid’s analytical and ambitious approach made him an excellent fit for Tammeka.
According to Kiidron, the club is implementing a new multi-year plan for its top-level football operations, which is why a long-term contract was agreed with the new head coach.
During his career, Voolaid has worked as a head coach or assistant coach in clubs across Estonia, Finland and Latvia. He has won both the Estonian Cup and Supercup, and in the summer of 2022 led Paide Linnameeskond to UEFA Europa Conference League victories over leading clubs from Georgia and Armenia. In recent years, he has served as an assistant coach at Riga FC and FCI Levadia, while from 2019 to 2020 he was head coach of the Estonian national team. Voolaid has also coached youth national teams and worked as head of coach education at the Estonian Football Association.
2026 Premium Liiga season begins in March. Tammeka’s pre-season ball training started on 11 December, with the first friendly matches scheduled for January. Voolaid is set to lead the team in training for the first time at the end of December.
Source: https://soccernet.ee/artikkel/tammeka-peatreeneriks-saab-endine-eesti-koondise-loots-karel-voolaid
