Harju Laagri centre-back Jako Kariste has officially left the club. The 26-year-old confirmed the decision on Instagram, stating that while his “mental battery ran out,” this does not signal the end of his football career.
Kariste, who came through the Läänemaa youth system, joined Harju in 2022 and quickly became a central figure in the squad. He helped the club earn its first-ever promotion to Estonia’s top division, the Premium Liiga. Although Harju showed plenty of fight in their debut season at the top level, it wasn’t enough to avoid relegation.
Last season, Harju battled Viimsi for the Esiliiga title, clinching it in the final round to secure a return to the top tier. Despite the team currently holding seventh place after 16 rounds in the Premium Liiga, Kariste announced on Instagram that he is stepping away from the club.
“Put simply, my mental battery just ran out,” Kariste told in an interview to Soccernet.ee. “It was largely due to limited playing time. Things piled up, and I made the decision to leave.” This season, Kariste played just two full matches and made one brief appearance from the bench.
“I went through a rough couple of months. I didn’t feel that spark for football anymore. Training was a struggle — I showed up, gave it my all, but still wasn’t getting minutes. It felt like a dead end,” he said. Still, Kariste emphasized that he has no complaints about the coaching staff. “The coach has to make tough decisions too.”
Leaving the club wasn’t easy. “It was incredibly hard for me. I grew attached to this club — three and a half years is a long time. It’s painful to move on,” said Kariste, who made 91 appearances and scored six goals for Harju.
He admitted that the hardest part was telling his teammates. “Some were really upset. They asked if I was sure about my decision. But by then, I had been thinking about it for far too long. It was draining me and even affecting my sleep,” he said. “Still, I don’t regret my choice.”
Reflecting on his time at Harju, Kariste pointed to two standout moments: “The classic match against Levadia two years ago, when [Reinhard] Reimaa scored in the final minute to win it 2–1 — that was a great memory. But I also remember the game against Tammeka that sealed our relegation. It was painful but made us stronger as a team.”
He also praised the club’s community spirit: “I’ll always remember the people at Harju. It’s an incredible club, especially in terms of community. I have nothing but good things to say. I’m very grateful to everyone there. I really hope they manage to stay in the top division. The way we’re playing is fantastic.”
Kariste stressed that he’s not walking away from football altogether. “I’m taking things one day at a time. If an opportunity comes along, I’ll consider it. But I’m not interested in playing in lower leagues — if I play, I want to give it everything, not just go through the motions.”
For now, Kariste is staying active. “I’m a bit of a training addict — I need to do something twice a day,” said Kariste, who also works as a physical education teacher. “I’m currently preparing for the Swedbank half-marathon. And since it’s summer break, I have plenty of time to train.”
Source: https://soccernet.ee/artikkel/harju-keskkaitsja-jattis-ootamatult-klubiga-huvasti-vaimne-patarei-sai-lihtsalt-tuhjaks
