Taijo Teniste

Taijo Teniste (born 31 January 1988) is an Estonian professional footballer who plays as a right back for Estonian Esiliiga club Tartu Welco and the Estonia national team.

Taijo Teniste

Teniste with Sogndal in 2017
Personal information
Full name	Taijo Teniste
Date of birth	(1988-01-31) 31 January 1988 (age 37)[1]
Place of birth	Tartu, Estonia
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s)	Right back
Team information
Current team	Tartu Welco
Number	33
Youth career
0000–2004	SK 10 Premium
2005	Levadia
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2004	SK 10 Premium	17	(16)
2005–2007	Levadia II	49	(15)
2005–2011	Levadia	148	(13)
2011–2017	Sogndal	164	(1)
2018–2020	Brann	59	(2)
2021–2023	Tartu Tammeka	64	(2)
2024	Tartu Welco	1	(0)
2024	Tallinna Kalev	12	(0)
2025–	Tartu Welco	6	(0)
International career‡
2004	Estonia U17	7	(0)
2005	Estonia U18	1	(0)
2005–2006	Estonia U19	8	(0)
2005–2010	Estonia U21	19	(0)
2010	Estonia U23	1	(0)
2007–	Estonia	99	(1)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 30 April 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 26 June 2023

Club career

SK 10

Teniste came through the Spordiklubi 10 youth academy and played for the club's first team in the IV liiga.

Levadia

In January 2005, Teniste signed for Levadia.^[2] He made his debut in the Meistriliiga on 3 April 2005, in a 4–0 home victory over Merkuur Tartu. Teniste helped Levadia win four successive Meistriliiga titles in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.^[3]

On 4 July 2011, Teniste joined League Two side Swindon Town for a trial, but was not offered a contract as manager Paolo Di Canio felt Teniste was not a natural left back.^[4][5]

Sogndal

On 1 September 2011, Teniste joined Norwegian club Sogndal on loan until the end of the season, with the option to make the deal permanent.^[6] He made his debut in the Tippeligaen on 11 September, in a 0–0 home draw against Aalesund, coming on as a substitute for Ole Jørgen Halvorsen in injury time.^[7] On 23 December 2011, Teniste signed a two-year contract with Sogndal.^[8] His contract was subsequently extended to 2015 and then to 2017.^[9] Teniste scored his first goal for Sogndal on 26 November 2017, in a 5–2 home win over Vålerenga in the last match of the 2017 season.^[10]

Brann

On 14 August 2017, it was announced that Teniste would join Brann after the 2017 season on a three-year deal.^[11]

International career

Teniste playing for Estonia against Germany in 2019

Teniste has represented Estonia at under-17, under-18, under-19, under-21 and under-23 levels.

Teniste made his senior international debut for Estonia on 9 November 2007, replacing Urmas Rooba in the 70th minute of a 0–2 away loss to Saudi Arabia in a friendly.^[12] Teniste finally scored his first goal for the national team on his 93rd cap on 26 September 2022 scoring in a 4–0 UEFA Nations League away win against San Marino. This goal also helped Estonia seal their return to the C League.

Career statistics

Club

As of 8 November 2020.^{[1][13][14][15]}

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Cup[a]		Europe		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
SK 10 Premium	2004	IV liiga	17	16	—		—		—		17	16
Levadia II	2005	Esiliiga	16	5	—		—		—		16	5
	2006	Esiliiga	27	5	—		—		—		27	5
	2007	Esiliiga	6	5	—		—		—		6	5
	Total		49	15	—		—		—		49	15
Levadia	2005	Meistriliiga	12	2	1	0	1[b]	0	0	0	14	2
	2006	Meistriliiga	6	0	0	0	0	0	—		6	0
	2007	Meistriliiga	19	1	4	0	2[b]	0	2[c]	0	27	1
	2008	Meistriliiga	31	2	5	0	2[b]	0	4[d]	0	42	2
	2009	Meistriliiga	24	3	1	0	6[e]	0	2[f]	0	33	3
	2010	Meistriliiga	33	1	3	0	2[b]	0	1[g]	0	39	1
	2011	Meistriliiga	23	4	2	0	2[h]	0	2[f]	0	29	4
	Total		148	13	16	0	15	0	11	0	190	13
Sogndal (loan)	2011	Tippeligaen	7	0	0	0	—		—		7	0
Sogndal	2012	Tippeligaen	24	0	1	0	—		—		25	0
	2013	Tippeligaen	30	0	2	0	—		—		32	0
	2014	Tippeligaen	25	0	2	0	—		—		27	0
	2015	OBOS-ligaen	25	0	2	0	—		—		27	0
	2016	Tippeligaen	27	0	3	0	—		—		30	0
	2017	Eliteserien	26	1	2	0	—		2[i]	0	30	1
	Total		164	1	12	0	—		2	0	178	1
Brann	2018	Eliteserien	23	1	1	0	—		—		24	1
	2019	Eliteserien	26	1	2	0	2[h]	1	—		30	2
	2020	Eliteserien	10	0	0	0	—		—		10	0
	Total		59	2	3	0	2	1	—		64	3
Career total			437	47	31	0	17	1	13	0	498	48

1. Includes the Estonian Cup and Norwegian Cup
2. Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League
3. Appearances in Baltic League
4. One appearance in Estonian Supercup, three appearances in Baltic League
5. Four appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League
6. One appearance in Estonian Supercup, one appearance in Baltic League
7. Appearance in Estonian Supercup
8. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
9. Appearances in Eliteserien relegation play-offs

International

As of 20 June 2023^[12][16]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Estonia	2007	3	0
	2009	2	0
	2010	1	0
	2011	5	0
	2012	6	0
	2013	10	0
	2014	8	0
	2015	7	0
	2016	10	0
	2017	10	0
	2018	6	0
	2019	9	0
	2020	7	0
	2021	4	0
	2022	7	1
	2023	4	0
Total		99	1

International goals

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	26 September 2022	San Marino Stadium, Serravalle, San Marino	San Marino	2–0	4–0	2022–23 UEFA Nations League

Honours

Club

Levadia II

• Esiliiga: 2006, 2007

Levadia

• Meistriliiga: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
• Estonian Cup: 2006–07, 2009–10
• Estonian Supercup: 2010

Sogndal

• OBOS-ligaen: 2015