Pärnu JK Vaprus

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This article is about the men's football club. For the women's team, see Pärnu JK Vaprus (women).
Pärnu Vaprus
Full namePärnu Jalgpalliklubi Vaprus
NicknameKarud (The Bears)
Founded1922; 103 years ago (1922)
Re-established in 1999; 26 years ago (1999)
GroundPärnu Rannastaadion
Capacity1,501[1]
ChairmanKarl Palatu
ManagerIgor Prins
LeagueMeistriliiga
2025Meistriliiga, 6th of 10
Websitehttp://vaprus.ee

Pärnu Jalgpalliklubi Vaprus, commonly known as Pärnu Vaprus or simply Vaprus, is an Estonian professional football club based in Pärnu that competes in the Meistriliiga, the top flight of Estonian football. The club's home ground is Pärnu Rannastaadion.

Founded in 1922, Pärnu Vaprus was dissolved after a merger in 1937 and re-established in 1999. The club has played in the Meistriliiga in 2006–2008, 2017–2018 and again since 2021.

History

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Vaprus was formed in May 1922, as Spordiselts Vaprus (English: Sporting Society 'Bravery'). The club was active in various sports and credited for organising the first intercity running competitions from Pärnu to Tallinn and from Pärnu to Riga.[2] In football, Vaprus competed in the local Pärnu football championships, winning in 1927 and 1934.[3] However, the club failed to reach the heights of their rivals Pärnu Tervis and in 1937, Vaprus merged with several other local sporting clubs to form Pärnu Kalev.[2]

The club was re-established in 1999 as an amateur team playing in the lower leagues. In 2003, several local clubs merged with Vaprus, including former top league club Pärnu Levadia, forming a working football club. Vaprus won the 2005 Esiliiga season and was, for the first time in the club's history, promoted to Estonia's top-flight football league Meistriliiga. The club finished their first Meistriliiga season in 7th place. Vaprus finished the 2008 Meistriliiga season in 10th place, but managed to avoid direct relegation due to disbandment of TVMK. However, the club was still relegated after losing the relegation play-offs against Paide Linnameeskond.[4]

In 2010, Vaprus formed a united team Pärnu Linnameeskond with PJK and Pärnu Kalev. Vaprus itself continued to only operate in youth football until 2014, when they entered their senior team to Estonian lower leagues. Pärnu Linnameeskond reached Estonian top flight in 2015, but broke up after two seasons with Pärnu Vaprus inheriting their league spot for 2017.[5]

After an eight-year absence, Vaprus returned to top-flight football and moved to the newly renovated 1,501-seat Pärnu Rannastaadion. The club finished the season in last place, but managed to avoid relegation due to Sillamäe Kalev's bankruptcy. However, the club again placed last and was relegated in the following 2018 season. Vaprus lifted the second division title in 2020 and returned to Meistriliiga, where they finished bottom of the table in both 2021 and 2022, but avoided relegation on each occasion due to Viljandi Tulevik and TJK Legion withdrawing from the top flight for financial reasons.

Pärnu Vaprus in 2025

Pärnu Vaprus appointed Igor Prins as their manager for the following 2023 season and recorded their most successful season in the club's history, surprisingly occupying 3rd place until matchday 27 and finishing the season in 6th place with 48 points, despite being considered as clear relegation candidates at the start of the year.[6] Vaprus finished the following year in 7th place, before repeating their highest 6th place finish in 2025, accumulating a club record 49 points.[7] During the season, the club's 16-year-old forward Marten-Chris Paalberg was called up to the Estonian national team.[8]

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

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Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Ref
2017– Nike Coolbet [9][10]

Stadium

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Pärnu Rannastaadion
Main article: Pärnu Rannastaadion

The club's home ground is the 1,501-seat Pärnu Rannastaadion. First opened in 1929, it was the home of Vaprus until its dissolution in 1937 and again since the early 2000s after the club's re-establishment. The stadium was completely reconstructed in 2015–2016.

Vaprus plays their home matches during winter and early spring months at the Pärnu Rehepapi artificial turf ground and uses the adjacent indoor football facility Pärnu Jalgpallihall, which opened in 2023 and cost over €4.7 million, as training centre during the snowy winter period.[11]

Players

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See also: Category:Pärnu JK Vaprus players

First-team squad

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As of 1 September 2025[12][13]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  EST Hendrik Vainu
4 DF  EST Magnus Villota
5 DF  EST Siim Aer
7 FW  EST Virgo Vallik
8 FW  EST Tristan Pajo (on loan from Flora)
9 FW  EST Joosep Põder
10 MF  EST Enrico Veensalu
11 FW  EST Kevin Kauber
14 MF  EST Rasmus Orm
15 DF  EST Kevin Aloe
16 GK  EST Ott Nõmm
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 MF  EST Sander Kapper
18 FW  EST Marten-Chris Paalberg
20 MF  EST Henri Välja
21 MF  EST Reimo Madissoo
24 MF  EST Mathias Villota
28 DF  EST Marko Lipp
42 FW  EST Matthias Limberg
43 DF  EST Markkus Seppik
44 MF  EST Roland Lukas (on loan from Flora)
88 DF  EST Ekke Kesküla
90 MF  EST Joonas Sild

For season transfers, see transfers summer 2024.

Personnel

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Honours

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Seasons and statistics

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Season Division Pos Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Top goalscorer Cup
1999 III liiga 3 20 9 5 6 54 42 +12 32 Estonia Raino Lapp (17)
2000 1 20 14 2 4 60 22 +38 44 Estonia Raino Lapp (12)
2001 II liiga 2 20 13 4 3 63 25 +38 43 Estonia Mihkel Vorman (11)
2002 5 20 7 2 11 25 39 −14 23
2003 Esiliiga 7 28 5 7 16 42 71 −29 22 Estonia Marek Markson (10)
2004 II liiga 1 28 24 4 0 157 21 +136 76 Estonia Indrek Joost (28)
2005 Esiliiga 1 36 26 6 4 92 39 +53 84 Estonia Verner Uibo (19)
2006 Meistriliiga 7 36 10 4 22 49 86 −37 34 Estonia Ranet Lepik (9)
2007 8 36 8 1 27 35 96 −61 25 Estonia Mihhail Kazak (7) Quarter-finals
2008 9 36 5 2 29 41 125 −84 17 Estonia Martin Partsioja (7) Third round
2009 Esiliiga 7 36 11 6 19 64 77 −13 39 Estonia Taavi Laurits (9) Third round
2010 7 36 10 7 19 57 78 −21 37 Estonia Taavi Laurits (13)
2014 IV liiga 9 16 1 2 13 13 46 −33 5 Estonia Henri Hansson (3)
Estonia Kaspar Mitt (3)
2015 2 18 12 3 3 55 21 +34 39 Estonia Jaak-Peeter Oja (15)
2016 III liiga 2[A] 22 19 0 3 69 22 +47 57 Estonia Robyn Hallmere (12)
2017 Meistriliiga 10 36 2 2 32 29 146 −117 8 Estonia Kristen Saarts (8)
2018 10 36 2 7 27 25 123 −98 13 Estonia Tõnis Vihmoja (8) Second round
2019 Esiliiga 3 36 21 4 11 73 48 +25 67 Estonia Kristen Saarts (19) Third round
2020 1 32 19 8 5 72 30 +42 65 Estonia Ronaldo Tiismaa (14) Second round
2021 Meistriliiga 10 30 5 3 22 24 88 −64 18 Estonia Enrico Veensalu
Estonia Anton Krutogolov (5) 		Third round
2022 10 36 3 2 31 32 96 −64 11 Estonia Ronaldo Tiismaa (7) First round
2023 6 36 12 12 12 40 43 −3 48 Estonia Kevin Kauber (8) Second round
2024 7 36 9 8 19 35 57 −22 35 Estonia Kevin Kauber (7) Third round
2025 6 36 14 7 15 54 51 +3 49 Estonia Marten-Chris Paalberg (15) Quarter-finals
  1. ^
    Pärnu Vaprus inherited the 2017 Meistriliiga league spot left vacant by the dissolved Pärnu Linnameeskond.

References

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  1. ^ "Pärnu Rannastaadion" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association.
  2. ^ a b "Ajalugu 20. sajandil" (in Estonian). Vaprus.ee. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  3. ^ "Pärnu jalgpallimeistriks Vaprus". Päewaleht. 15 October 1934.
  4. ^ "Ajalugu 21. sajandil" (in Estonian). Vaprus.ee. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  5. ^ "Premium liigas esindab Pärnut jalgpalliklubi Vaprus". EFA. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  6. ^ "Süües kasvab isu: Pärnu Vapruse meeskond on sama, aga ootused täiesti teisest klassist". Soccernet.ee. 23 February 2024.
  7. ^ "VAPRUSE HOOAJA KOKKUVÕTE ⟩ Ulmeline võiduseeria, eurosarja ambitsioon ja erakordne huvi Paalbergi vastu" [VAPRUS SEASON SUMMARY: A fantastic winning streak, Europe ambition and extraordinary interest in Paalberg]. Pärnu Postimees. 15 November 2025.
  8. ^ Järvela, Ott (2 October 2025). "Pärnu Vaprus lükkas välismaalase kõrvale. Tasuks uhke kompliment ja 16aastase Paalbergi koondisekutse" [Pärnu Vaprus rejected a foreigner. The reward was a proud compliment and a call-up to the national team for 16-year-old Paalberg]. Postimees.
  9. ^ "Pärnu Vapruse ja Coolbeti koostöö jätkub". vaprus.ee. 1 March 2021.
  10. ^ "Pärnu JK Vaprus Kit History". Football Kit Archive. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
  11. ^ Vilgats, Ester (2023-11-05). "Pärnus avati uus jalgpallihall". ERR (in Estonian). Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  12. ^ "Pärnu JK Vaprus" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  13. ^ "Esindusmeeskond". vaprus.ee. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
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