Eduard Eelma facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 7 April 1902 | ||
| Place of birth | Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire | ||
| Date of death | 16 November 1941 (aged 39) | ||
| Place of death | Kirov, Soviet Union | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1919–1925 | Kalev | ||
| 1925–1930 | TJK | ||
| 1930–1935 | JS Estonia Tallinn | ||
| National team | |||
| 1921–1935 | Estonia | 60 | (21) |
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Eduard Eelma (born April 7, 1902 – died November 16, 1941) was a famous Estonian football player. Before 1937, his name was Eduard-Vilhelm Ellmann. He was one of Estonia's best players before World War II. Eduard played 60 games for the Estonia national football team. He scored 21 goals, which was a record for his country at that time.
His international career lasted from 1921 to 1935. His amazing record of 21 international goals was only beaten in 2002. This was first by Indrek Zelinski, and later by Andres Oper. Eduard also played football at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. Sadly, Eduard Eelma was arrested in 1941 and died later that year.
Contents
Eduard Eelma's Club Football Journey
Eduard Ellmann-Eelma started playing for Kalev when he was 17. His team became Estonian champions in 1923. Eduard scored two goals in their big 6–0 win against Tartu ASK in the final game.
In 1925, he joined another team called TJK. With TJK, he won the Estonian Championship twice more. These wins were in 1926 and 1928. In both final matches, he scored two goals again!
In 1930, Eduard Ellmann-Eelma helped start a new club, JS Estonia Tallinn. He became the captain of this team. He led them to win two more Estonian Championship titles. These victories were in 1934 and 1935. After the successful 1935 season, he decided to stop playing football.
Playing for Estonia: International Matches
Ellmann-Eelma played his first game for the Estonia national football team in their very first home match. This was on July 23, 1921, against Sweden. The game ended in a 0–0 draw at the Tiigiveski Ground.
He also played in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. Estonia played against the USA in the first round. In the second half, Eduard earned a penalty kick for Estonia. But his teammate Elmar Kaljot missed the shot. Estonia lost the match 0–1.
In total, Eduard Eelma played 60 games for the national team. He scored 21 goals, which was a record for Estonia for a long time. Ten of his goals were against Lithuania. Eight goals were against Latvia. He scored two goals against Sweden and one against Finland. Eduard's goalscoring record was finally broken in 2002 by Indrek Zelinski. The record is now held by Andres Oper.
Trophies and Achievements
Club Success
Kalev
- Estonian Champion: 1923
TJK
- Estonian Champion: 1926, 1928
JS Estonia Tallinn
- Estonian Champion: 1934, 1935
International Success
Estonia
- Baltic Cup: 1929, 1931
