TALLINN - Estonia has enjoyed some illustrious visitors in recent times 's presidents, kings, queens and rock stars. But none managed to stir as much excitement as this month's long-awaited visitors 's David Beckham and the English football team. On the evening of June 6, as The Baltic Times went to press, the Brits were getting set to face Estonia in front of a sell-out crowd of 10,000 people at the A. Le Coq Arena in a qualifying match for the Euro 2008 competition.
For Estonia, the game is as much about pageantry and prestige as it is about sport.
"It's more than football, this is an event on its own," said Mihkel Uiboleht, spokesman for the Estonian Football Association.
"It's very special to host England. That's where football was born. This is something that Estonia can get experience from, not only the national team, but the FA in organizing the event. It's the biggest game we've ever had."
The English players brought with them a hoard of fans who roamed the town in team colors and hung flags from their hotel windows. The players themselves stayed at the Radisson SAS, the venue of choice for US President George W. Bush, who visited last November, and Ozzy Osborne, who visited on June 4.
Estonia seems unlikely to qualify for Euro 2008, given that they have lost every game so far without scoring a goal.
But Uiboleht said their future chances could only improve as the sport grows in popularity.
There are now approximately 15,000 players in Estonia, from juniors to adults. Football is now more popular than basketball, which was traditionally the nation's favorite team sport.
"Having England here will help boost the profile of the sport," Uiboleht said.
