Paide now has two head coaches: Mika Laurikainen joins Tarmo Kink

Estonian football club Paide has officially announced that the team will now be led by two head coaches – current coach Tarmo Kink will be joined by Finnish specialist Mika Laurikainen. The club stated that Laurikainen will bring valuable top-level experience to the first team.

Mika Laurikainen originally joined Paide in August 2024 as the head of the club's football academy. In addition to managing the academy, he contributed significantly to the development of the club's player development strategy, led youth methodology, participated in setting the overall strategy as a member of the club's management, and provided consultative support to the first-team coaching staff.

Laurikainen began his career in Finland at TPS, where he first coached the reserve team and later led the first team back to the Finnish top flight. After spells at MyPa and Jaro, he became head coach of the Finland U-19 national team in 2009. From 2011 to 2013, he coached the Finland U-21 national team. Before joining Paide, he served as head coach and sporting director at TPS from 2022 to 2023.

In July, Paide faces a busy schedule of matches in both the Premium Liiga and the UEFA Conference League qualifiers. Tarmo Kink became Paide's head coach in late April when the club parted ways with Vladimir Vassiljev.