Toomas Kaldma
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 16 August 1943 | ||
| Place of birth | Tallinn, German-occupied Estonia | ||
| Date of death | 1 July 2026 (aged 82) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Tallinna Kalev | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| –1959 | Tallinna Kalev | ||
| 1959–? | Norma Tallinn | ||
| → Tallinna Dünamo (military service) | |||
| Tallinna Tempo | |||
| International career | |||
| Estonian SSR Youth[1] | |||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
| Domestic | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Years | League | Role | |
| 1976–1993 | Estonian SSR Football Championship/Meistriliiga | Referee | |
| Soviet Top League | Referee | ||
Toomas Kaldma (16 August 1943 – 1 July 2026) was a Soviet and Estonian footballer, referee and coach.
Career
[edit]Kaldma started playing football as a schoolboy, joining Tallinna Kalev under manager Uno Piir. In 1959, he joined Norma Tallinn. During his military service, he played for Tallinna Dünamo, before rejoining Norma Tallinn, and later playing for Tallinna Tempo.[1] Overall, he won the Estonian SSR Cup in 1962 and the Estonian SSR Football Championship in 1971.[2]
During the 1970s, Kaldma became a referee, officiating in the Estonian SSR Football Championship between 1976 and 1993,[2] as well as 14 matches in the Soviet Top League.[3] Additionally, he officiated the 1980 and 1990 Estonian SSR Cup finals, and served as an assistant referee in eight other finals.[1]
Following his retirement in 1993 from officiating, he worked as a match inspector, as well as a youth coach for Nõmme Kalju,[2] also working as a representative of the Estonia national team.[1] Later on, he would become a pundit for Nõmme Kalju home matches.[3]
In 2023, he was awarded the Silver Medal of the Estonian Football Association.[4]
Personal life and death
[edit]His son, Sten Kaldma, is a former FIFA-licensed referee, while his grandson Sören and granddaughter Liisa are both footballers, with Sören having played for the Estonia national team.[1][2]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Salu, Gunnar (2 July 2026). "Lahkus pikaaegne mängija, kohtunik ja treener Toomas Kaldma (Tehva: täna on taevas üks täht rohkem)" [Long-time player, referee and coach Toomas Kaldma has passed away (Tehva: today there is one more star in the sky)]. Soccernet.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Boikov, Siim (2 July 2026). "Suri teenekas jalgpallitegelane Toomas Kaldma" [Toomas Kaldma, a distinguished football figure, has passed away.]. Eesti Rahvusringhääling (in Estonian). Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 Järvela, Ott (1 July 2026). "Suri jalgpalliveteran ja Nõmme Kalju legendaarne meeskonna vanem Toomas Kaldma" [Football veteran and legendary Nõmme Kalju team captain Toomas Kaldma has died]. Postimees (in Estonian). Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- ↑ "Kaldma, Toomas". Eesti spordi biograafiline leksikon (ESBL) (in Estonian). 2 July 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.