Football Gala: Viktor Levada Awarded Silver Badge. More Levadia Members Honored

Yesterday, December 22, the annual Football Gala took place at the Estonia Concert Hall, where awards were presented for the past season and exceptional contributions to Estonian football.

From the Levadia ranks, awards were given to club president Viktor Levada, head coach Curro Torres, team captain Rasmus Peetson, goalkeeper Karl Andre Vallner, and midfielder Mihkel Ainsalu. Additionally, the symbolic team of the 2024 Premium League season was announced.

The Estonian Football Association’s Silver Badge was awarded to Viktor Levada, the long-serving club president and leader. After moving from Ukraine to Estonia, Levada founded a metal company named Levadia. Initially, this company sponsored the then-Esiliiga team Maardu, but in the same year, Levada founded FC Levadia in Maardu based on the same club. The team later moved to the capital and is now known as Tallinna FCI Levadia. Levada’s contribution to Estonian football has been remarkable!

The Coach of the Year award, named after Vollrat, went to Curro Torres! Torres has been the head coach of FCI Levadia’s main team for two seasons. In the first, the team narrowly finished second in the Premium League, and in the recently concluded season, the coach led the team to first place with a significant margin over the following teams.

Team captain Rasmus Peetson was crowned Best Defender at yesterday’s Football Gala. Captain Peetson had a truly remarkable season, playing 3,152 minutes across 36 matches. His defensive efforts were crucial, as the team secured 27 wins, six draws, and only three losses.

For the second year in a row, the Best Goalkeeper award went to Karl Andre Vallner! Vallner achieved 23 clean sheets, numerous saves, and conceded just 19 goals all season. His role as Levadia’s goalkeeper has been one of the key factors in the team’s success.

Midfielder Mihkel Ainsalu brought home two significant awards from yesterday’s Football Gala. The Premium League honored Ainsalu with the Best Midfielder title, and he was also named the Fans’ Favorite by Soccernet fans. Ainsalu also played the most minutes for the team, with a total of 3,180 minutes across 36 matches.

The 2024 Premium League Symbolic Team included five Levadia players: defenders Peetson and Schjonning-Larsen, and midfielders Yakovlev, Ainsalu, and Joao Pedro.

The FCI Levadia family thanks everyone for the awards and wishes everyone a peaceful holiday season!

Photo: Liisi Troska / jalgpall.ee