Arnold Pihlak (original) (raw)

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Estonian footballer

Arnold Pihlak
Personal information
Date of birth (1902-07-17)17 July 1902
Place of birth Tallinn, Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire
Date of death 1 November 1985(1985-11-01) (aged 83)
Place of death Bradford, England
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1920–1925 Kalev
1924 Sport
1925–1928 TJK
1928–1929 Austria Wien
1930–1934 JS Estonia Tallinn
International career
1920–1931 Estonia 44 (16)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Arnold Pihlak (17 July 1902 – 1 November 1985) was an Estonian footballer.[1][2] After joining Austria Vienna in 1928, he became the first-ever Estonian professional footballer.[3][4]

Pihlak began playing football as a school pupil in Pelgulinn, but his studies and sporting aspirations were interrupted by his voluntary participation in the Estonian War of Independence, where he served on the armoured train No. 2.[3]

After the war, Pihlak was invited to play for Tallinna Kalev. He was initially a defender, until his attacking talent was discovered by coach Antal Mally.[3] Pihlak made a strong impression during the 1927 FIFA Helsinki tournament and in the April of the following year, while playing for TJK in Riga, he was approached by Karl Kurz with a proposal to join Austria Wien.[3][5]

Arnold Pihlak (first in the front row) was one of the founders of JS Estonia

Pihlak made his unofficial debut for Austria Wien in December 1928 during their tour in Italy.[3] Pihlak impressed on his official first team debut, scoring two goals in the club's 3–0 victory in the Austrian Cup match against SC Westmark Wien on 20 January 1929.[3]

In 1930, Pihlak became one of the founding members of JS Estonia Tallinn.[6] He retired from football in 1934, after he had been injured in a car accident the previous year, when his truck was hit by an oncoming train at an Ülemiste intersection.[7]

International career

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Pihlak made his debut for Estonia national football team at 18 years old, when he was part of the country's first-ever national team match on 17 October 1920 against Finland. He also participated in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris.[8][9] In total, Pihlak made 44 appearances for the national team and scored 16 goals.[10][11] He was Estonia's third highest goalscorer during the country's first period of independence.

  1. ^ "ESBL". www.esbl.ee (in Estonian). Archived from the original on 2 March 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Arnold Pihlak". Olympedia. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Lääne, Tiit (2009). Viini profi päevaraamat. Eesti esimese elukutselise jalgpalluri Arnold Pihlaku lugu. ISBN 978-9985-9979-3-2.
  4. ^ Lääne, Tiit (18 December 1998). "Kes tunneb Arnold Pihlakut?". Spordileht.
  5. ^ Eesti koondislaste välisklubid (in Estonian)
  6. ^ Schwede, Indrek (2024). Eesti jalgpalli ajalugu II osa. Eesti Jalgpalli Liit.
  7. ^ "Raske õnnetus jalgpallimees A. Pihlakaga". Päewaleht. 6 April 1933.
  8. ^ "Arnold Pihlak". Olympedia. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  9. ^ Sports Reference profile
  10. ^ RSSSF – Estonia – Record International Players
  11. ^ "Arnold Pihlak. Koondise koosseis". jalgpall.ee (in Estonian).