OPPOSITION LEGEND
A talented midfielder who played over 400 games during two spells at Estonian outfit FC Flora, Martin Reim also has a long association with the Estonian national team.
In addition to being the record international appearance holder having represented his country 157 times between 1992 and 2009, Reim has also managed every intermediate age group as well as the senior team during his subsequent coaching career.
During his 157 appearances for Estonia, Reim scored 14 goals, the first of which came against Cymru in a 2-1 friendly defeat for his side in Tallinn back in May 1994 on what was his 18th cap. As with every other player to represent the Estonian national team, qualification for the finals of a major tournament eluded Reim, and there have been few players who are more deserving than the man from the Estonian city of Tartu to achieve this given his two decades of international service.
Synonymous with FC Flora having played for the club between 1992 and 1999, and then returning for a second spell between 2001 and 2009, it was only natural that his first senior management job would be with the club that defined his playing career. During his time with the club from the Estonian capital of Tallinn, Reim won seven Meistriliiga titles and three Estonian cups. He also holds the record for the most-appearances in the national top-flight having played 385 league games.
Appointed manager in 2009, not long after calling time on his playing career, Reim guided FC Flora to two consecutive league titles, ending the domestic success of city rivals Levadia, and they also completed the double in 2011. However, a poor run of results saw him resign from his position in October 2012, and it would lead to his reconnection with the national team as he was appointed manager of the intermediate sides with responsibility for the U18, U21 and U23 teams. In September 2016, he was appointed manager of the senior national team, but stepped down three years later after a heavy 8-0 defeat to Germany in a EURO 2020 qualifier. Surprisingly, Reim took charge of FC Flora's rivals Levadia in 2019, but only remained in position for a short time.
Despite overseeing the heaviest defeat in the history of the national team, Reim remains a hero with the Estonian fans. After making his debut in Estonia's first official match since regaining independence in a 1-1 draw against Slovenia, which was also Slovenia's first international fixture, Reim would bring the curtain down on his career in a 3-0 win over Equatorial Guinea in a testimonial match arranged to celebrate his achievements.
“This is a joyous occasion,” Reim told UEFA.com following the match. “I'm retiring without sadness. The longest period of my life is over and I can congratulate myself that it ended well. It's no good being disappointed as there is no way I could go on playing until I die. I've chosen the right time. My team have won and to retire after a success is very nice. Footballers, like any other sportsmen, always want to win. I only played for 30 minutes but it was enough. I am grateful to my team-mates and the people who came to the stadium saw an attacking game against exotic opponents.”
