Eugen Einman

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Eugen Einman

| image = Eugen Einman.jpg

| image_size =

| caption =

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1905|10|06|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Tallinn, Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire

| death_date = {{death date and age|1963|09|12|1905|10|06|df=yes}}

| death_place = Tallinn, Estonian SSR,
Soviet Union

| height =

| position = Right back

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| years1 = 1923–1927

| clubs1 = Sport

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| nationalyears1 = 1923–1935

| nationalteam1 = Estonia

| nationalcaps1 = 64

| nationalgoals1 = 5

| youthclubs1 = VS Sport

| years2 = 1928

| clubs2 = TJK

| years3 = 1929–1936

| clubs3 = Sport

}}

Eugen Einman (6 October 1905 – 12 September 1963) was an Estonian footballer who played as a right-back for the Estonian national team.{{cite web |title=Eugen Einman |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/700317 |access-date=24 August 2021 |work=Olympedia}} He spent most of his career at Tallinna Sport and won a total of eight Estonian Championship titles.

Einman is widely considered to be the greatest Estonian defensive player during the country's first period of independence.{{Cite web |title=EINMAN, EUGEN |url=https://www.esbl.ee/biograafia/Eugen_Einman |access-date=2024-02-25 |website=www.esbl.ee}}{{Cite book |last=Karmo |first=Meelis |title=Wabariigi vutituus. Eesti jalgpalli kuldinternatsionaali Eugen Einmanni lugu. |year=2015 |isbn=978-9949-512-57-7}}

Club career

File:VS Sport 1932.jpg title]]

Einman began playing football at the Tiigiveski Ground and joined Sport B team in 1920. He was promoted to the first team in 1923 and quickly established himself as a starter. Einman lifted his first Estonian Championship title in 1924, before winning the league again in 1925 and 1927.

In 1928 Eugen Einman moved to TJK and won the league in the same season. He returned to Sport in the following year and again won the league title in 1929, before dominating Estonian football in 1931–1933, during which Sport also performed strongly against top European clubs. Eugen Einman retired after the 1936 season, at 31 years of age.

International career

Eugen Einman made his Estonia national football team debut on 14 September 1924 in a 0–4 loss against Finland.{{Cite web |title=Eugen Einman - koondise statistika |url=https://jalgpall.ee/koondis/koosseis |access-date= |website=jalgpall.ee |language=et}} From 1924 until 1932 Einman played in a record 45 consecutive national team matches. In total, Einman made 64 appearances for Estonia and was only surpassed by Evald Tipner (66 appearances) during the country's first period of independence. He also lifted the Baltic Cup twice, in 1929 and 1931.