Sergei Pareiko (born 31 January 1977) is a retired Estonian footballer. Pareiko played as a goalkeeper in Estonian, Russian and Polish top tiers. He made a total of 65 appearances for the Estonia national football team. He worked as the sporting director of Estonian football club Levadia from 2016 until July 2021.

Club career

In Estonia, Pareiko played for Tallinna Sadam and Levadia Maardu, before moving to Russia in 2001, when he signed with Rotor Volgograd. After Rotor were relegated, Pareiko moved to Tom Tomsk. At the end of 2009 season Pareiko was named the Tom Tomsk Player of Year, sharing this title with Đorđe Jokić. In late 2010, speculation began to mount that Celtic were interested in Pareiko's services. Pareiko was left on the bench for Tomsk's last match of the season. He left the club on 25 December. On 8 February 2011 Pareiko joined Polish Ekstraklasa side Wisła Kraków on a one-and-a-half-year deal. He became the first choice goalkeeper and won the Ekstraklasa championship in his debut season. Pareiko finished third in voting for the Estonian Footballer of the Year in 2011.

International career

Pareiko made his international debut for the Estonia national team on 31 August 1996, in a 1998 World Cup qualifier against Belarus when the first choice keeper, Mart Poom, got injured in the 8th minute of the match. The match ended with 0–1 loss. His second cap came 6 years later and he became the team's first choice keeper in 2009. On 17 November 2015, Pareiko made his last appearance for Estonia against Saint Kitts and Nevis. The game ended 3-0 for Estonia. Pareiko's national team career lasted 19 years, 2 months and 17 days, making him the longest serving Estonia national team member ahead of Andres Oper.

Personal life

Pareiko was born in Tallinn, to a Russian mother and Belarusian father. In the interview for Gazeta Krakowska he said "I am a citizen of Estonia, I have a passport of that country, but I am of Russian ethnicity". He married Victoria, in 2003, and they have one son named, Daniil. Daniil is also a goalkeeper under contract with Italian club SPAL who made his senior debut in the Italian Serie D in 2023.

Honours

Tallinna Sadam

Casale Calcio

Levadia Maardu

Wisła Kraków

Individual

Statistics

Club career

This statistic includes domestic league only Last update: 17 November 2015

International statistics