Football is a game that has been played in Estonia since the beginning of the twentieth century. Between the two world wars the game gathered a whole lot of enthusiasts. For Estonians, who in 1918 had established national independence for the first time in their history, football became one of the symbols of statehood and freedom during the country's first period of independence. Frequent matches with the neighbouring Latvians, Lithuanians and Finns, along with the parades and banquets that preceded and followed the games, became not only great public events, but significant occasions on a formal state level.

Later the Soviet occupation, however, which lasted for almost half a century (1944-1991), uprooted Estonians' football spirit both on the level of hobby and that of sports fanaticism. The main reason for this was people's desire to confront the all-union Russification policy on every occasion - and football, just like ice hockey, was primarily regarded as a sport of Russians and was therefore an unsuitable engagement for a nationally disposed Estonian. During the Olympics and other major competitions, both football and ice hockey were watched on TV mainly for the hope of the 'great homeland's' defeat.

At the same time it is interesting to notice that the biggest public anti-Soviet demonstration during the occupation years took place in a football stadium, when the teams of Estonian Radio and the Estonian Television met each other in September 1980. The game was followed by youth riots that resulted in collisions with the Soviet militia. The political processes set in motion by this game's events culminated in a public letter a couple of months later, wherein 40 local intellectuals and cultural personages protested against the methodical Russification of Estonia and Estonians.

In the Soviet times it was basketball that was enthroned among ball games in Estonia. Therefore, while the football team of Tallinn Sport was the 'unrivalled outsider' amongst the representative teams of the Union's republics at the time of the Union's disintegration, and competed at the bottom of the third league of the state in 1990, the basketball team of Tallinn Kalev became the champion of the whole Soviet Union in 1991. Two years later, the Estonian national basketball team placed 6th at the European Basketball Championship. Over the last fifteen years, basketball and football have scrambled for pre-eminence in the collective consciousness and national image of the Estonians. This rivalry, which started off as a pre-destined defeat for football, has clearly turned in football's favour and has ended in its victory since the beginning of the new millennium.

photo: karel zova

Since the re-establishment of Estonian independence, football has quickly traversed a long and incredible path. This is true not only in terms of the rise of a generation of players, the development of the whole culture of the game, the erecting of stadiums and training grounds and the creation of the necessary structures, but also in terms of making Estonian football known and established. Once again Estonians have become a football nation and football can again be regarded as our national sport. One might add that ice hockey, at the same time, has retained its unfavourable image and, although Estonia is surrounded on all sides by countries that belong to the world elite of this sport, neither the general public nor the media have shown particular interest in the accomplishments of hockey players.

During the past few years we have been able to speak of a growing football boom in Estonia, which is centred on the increasingly experienced and strong national team. Yet the main share of fans' constant attention falls on the UEFA championships and national leagues of other countries (primarily England, Italy, Spain and Russia). Estonia's own national championship fails to attract not only common visitors, but even those sport fans who call themselves complete football addicts (statistically this means that the attendance at our club games is about 100 times lower than that of the national team's matches).

Reasons for the relative lack of popularity in regard to our own championship can be found in game calendars as well as in the local climate. The championship kicks off in March, when the ground is still covered with snow and the season closes in November, when the first snow has already fallen. In the summer months, however, a fanatic football lover will take time off from his own pursuits, work, sports and life altogether. Moreover, the Estonian clubs have not had much success on the European level - so far there are only a few cases of a qualifying round opponent being defeated.

In general, club football in Estonian conditions is mainly a form of entertainment that most people, unfortunately, have not yet discovered for themselves. A factor to consider is that the support of a local club does not seem to manifest local identity. Matches of the national team, at the same time, are not just entertainment, but directly carry the sense of national self-definition.

Home matches of the national team have evolved into events of sport and media and have become important occasions for the national self-awareness of Estonians. Since the opening of the new stadium in Tallinn in 2001, the attendance at home matches has become a basic routine for thousands of people. They come attired in national colours and armed with flags and banners. The football stadium has become a place to express and experience national unity, having taken this function over from the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds.

photo: karel zova

The stadium also witnesses spontaneous mini-song festivals, in which connection it could be noted that a couple of songs greatly popular among football lovers clearly refer back to the times of national slavery, a notion that is dying hard in the collective memory and self-image of the Estonian people. The words of those songs reflect the revolt against the Christian masters and the uncompromising struggle against the Russian invasion.

On a few memorable occasions, Estonians have managed to gain revenge for historical injustice on the football field. The triumphant victory over Russia in a practice match in 2002 and the victorious draw with them in the qualifying round of the European Football Championship three years later will certainly continue to expand the nationalism and self-pride of Estonians for the foreseeable future. A convincing victory over our southern neighbour Latvia, which had just played successfully at the final tournament of the European Championship in 2005, unleashed a nation-wide wave of euphoria.

Under the supervision of imported coaches, in ten years, the Estonian national team has, first of all, learnt to play defence. Only in recent times have examples emerged of meaningful and fruitful offensive play. Estonians, who had to accept only high-score defeats just a decade ago, have now reached the point where players, coaches and fans expect at least a draw from each game - a loss is always a disappointment. Every positive result unites our nation, which is increasingly threatened by internal alienation in the form of evolving class differences and regional splits in the field of culture.

At the same time it has been realized that for a small country such as Estonia football is the best calling card and self-presentation. (Whether acknowledged or not, cross-country skiing, in which Estonia has won several medals in recent international title competitions, is merely a sectarian extreme sport in the eyes of the world, in comparison with King Football.) In this media age, a country that is capable on the football field exists for the world in general as well.

In addition to some unsavoury foreign policy, attempts have been made to abuse football for internal affairs as well. Years ago, well-known football players - both Estonians and Russians - were harnessed to the integration cart, being used on posters that promoted unity between the two nationalities. Yet at the same time it was precisely football that exposed the failure of the government's integration policy, since in Estonia's matches against Russia the Estonian residents of Slavic origin were emphatically on the side of the Russian team.

In the new 21st century, where general globalisation and liberalism threaten the ethnic identity and national survival of Estonians, nationalism has to be aroused and stimulated half-artificially. In the situation which has emerged, football will probably play an increasingly important role in the preservation, realisation and deepening of our national identity, considering the relatively old-fashioned nature of the means generally used for promoting patriotism. Football reminds us, in a sound and sporting manner, that we are Estonians and want to be better and more successful than others (particularly our neighbours). The national team has already become a symbol of sorts in Estonia, something that only the traditional song and dance festivals manage to compete with in this category. It seems that on the level of the national team, Estonians need football more than football needs Estonians.

Alvar Loog (1975) is a culture critic and a hardcore supporter of Viljandi Football Club Tulevik