1. Overview
Karol Mets (Karol Metsˈkɑrol metsEstonian, born on May 16, 1993, in Viljandi, Estonia, is an Estonian professional footballer who plays primarily as a centre back or defensive midfielder. He currently represents Bundesliga club St. Pauli and is a key member of the Estonia national team. His career has seen him play across multiple European leagues, including Estonia, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Bulgaria, Switzerland, and Germany, as well as a spell in Saudi Arabia.
2. Early Life and Youth Career
Karol Mets began his football journey in his hometown, developing his skills within local youth systems before embarking on a professional career that would take him across various European leagues.
2.1. Youth Career
Mets joined the youth system of Tulevik in 2003, at the age of 10. He progressed through the ranks, eventually playing for the club's reserve sides, Tulevik II and Warrior, where he gained early competitive experience.
3. Club Career
Karol Mets's professional club career spans several countries, showcasing his adaptability and consistent performance across different leagues. He has played for clubs in Estonia, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, Bulgaria, Switzerland, and Germany.
3.1. Estonia
Mets began his professional career in his home country, establishing himself as a promising talent before moving abroad.
3.1.1. JK Tulevik
After developing in the Tulevik youth system, Mets played for the club's reserve teams, Tulevik II and Warrior. His time in the reserve squads provided a foundation for his transition to senior football, including one appearance in the Esiliiga relegation play-offs in 2009.
3.1.2. FC Flora Tallinn
In November 2010, Mets was included in Flora's first team squad for pre-season training. He made his debut for the club on March 1, 2011, against Levadia in the Estonian Supercup match, which Flora won 5-3 on penalties. Mets made his Meistriliiga debut on April 2, 2011, in a 1-0 away victory over Kuressaare. He quickly established himself as Flora's first-choice centre back alongside Karl Palatu, contributing significantly to Flora's 2011 Meistriliiga title victory. During his time at Flora, he also made two appearances in the Baltic Champions Cup in 2011, two appearances in the UEFA Champions League in 2012, and two appearances in the UEFA Europa League in 2013.
3.2. Norway
Following his successful period in Estonia, Mets moved to Norway to continue his career in the Tippeligaen, the country's top football league.
3.2.1. Viking FK
On December 5, 2014, Mets signed a three-year contract with Norwegian club Viking. He made his debut in the Tippeligaen (now Eliteserien) on April 6, 2015, in a 1-0 away loss to Mjøndalen. He spent three seasons with Viking, consistently featuring in the team's lineup.
3.3. Netherlands
Mets's career then took him to the Netherlands, where he joined a club in the Eredivisie, the highest professional football league in the country.
3.3.1. NAC Breda
On July 31, 2017, Mets transferred to Eredivisie club NAC Breda on a three-year deal. The transfer fee was undisclosed but was rumored to be around 100.00 K EUR. He made his Eredivisie debut on August 12, 2017, in a 4-1 away loss to Vitesse, coming on as a half-time substitute for Arno Verschueren. Mets scored his first goal for NAC Breda on September 20, 2017, in a 4-3 loss to Achilles '29 in the first round of the KNVB Cup.
3.4. Sweden
After his spell in the Netherlands, Mets moved to Sweden, joining one of the country's prominent clubs.
3.4.1. AIK
On March 14, 2019, Mets signed a three-year contract with Swedish champions AIK for a fee of 300.00 K EUR. He made his debut in the Allsvenskan on March 31, 2019, in a 0-0 home draw against Östersund. He played for AIK for two seasons, contributing to their league campaigns, including eight appearances in the UEFA Europa League in 2020.
3.5. Saudi Arabia
In 2020, Mets made a move outside of Europe, joining a club in the Saudi Professional League.
3.5.1. Ettifaq FC
On October 2, 2020, Mets signed a three-year contract with Saudi club Al-Ettifaq. He played for the club for one season, making 23 league appearances.
3.6. Bulgaria
Following his time in Saudi Arabia, Mets returned to Europe, signing with a Bulgarian club.
3.6.1. CSKA Sofia
On August 10, 2021, Mets signed a contract with Bulgarian club CSKA Sofia until the end of the 2021-22 season. He made 12 league appearances for the club.
3.7. Switzerland
In early 2022, Mets moved to Switzerland to play in the Swiss Super League.
3.7.1. FC Zürich
On January 7, 2022, Mets signed with Swiss club Zürich until June 2024. He made 25 league appearances for the club over two seasons, including six appearances in the UEFA Europa League in the 2022-23 season.
3.8. Germany
Mets's most recent move brought him to Germany, where he joined a club in the 2. Bundesliga, eventually achieving promotion to the top flight.
3.8.1. FC St. Pauli
On January 5, 2023, Mets joined 2. Bundesliga club St. Pauli on loan from Zürich until the end of the season, with an option to buy. St. Pauli exercised this option, making his transfer permanent at the end of the season on May 31, 2023. In the 2023-24 season, Mets was a consistent starter, playing in all but two games due to a red card. His contributions were vital as St. Pauli won the league title and secured promotion to the Bundesliga for the upcoming 2024-25 season.
4. International Career
Karol Mets has represented Estonia at various youth levels and has been a long-standing member of the senior national team, achieving significant milestones.
Mets played for the Estonian U-17, U-18, U-19, and U-21 national teams. He was part of the Estonia U-19 squad for the 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, where he featured in all three group stage matches. However, Estonia was eliminated after losing to Portugal, Greece, and Spain.
He made his debut for the Estonian senior squad on November 19, 2013, in a 3-0 friendly away victory against Liechtenstein. On November 19, 2024, Mets achieved a significant milestone by featuring in his 100th international match against Slovakia during the UEFA Nations League.
5. Career Statistics
Karol Mets's career statistics reflect his extensive experience across various leagues and competitions, both at club and international levels. The "Cup" column in the table below includes appearances in the Estonian Cup, Norwegian Cup, KNVB Cup, Svenska Cupen, King Cup, Bulgarian Cup, Swiss Cup, and DFB-Pokal.
5.1. Club Statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Tulevik II | 2009 | Esiliiga | 28 | 3 | 3 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | 32 | 3 | |
| 2010 | II liiga | 23 | 1 | - | - | - | 23 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 51 | 4 | 3 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | 55 | 4 | |||
| Warrior | 2010 | Esiliiga | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | |
| Flora | 2011 | Meistriliiga | 16 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 2 |
| 2012 | Meistriliiga | 32 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 4 | |
| 2013 | Meistriliiga | 32 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 38 | 2 | ||
| 2014 | Meistriliiga | 35 | 0 | 3 | 2 | - | 0 | 0 | 38 | 2 | ||
| Total | 115 | 7 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 135 | 10 | ||
| Flora II | 2011 | Esiliiga | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 17 | 1 | ||
| 2012 | Esiliiga | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 2 | |||
| Total | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 19 | 3 | ||||
| Viking | 2015 | Tippeligaen | 28 | 0 | 6 | 0 | - | - | 34 | 0 | ||
| 2016 | Tippeligaen | 29 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 32 | 0 | |||
| 2017 | Eliteserien | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 17 | 0 | |||
| Total | 72 | 0 | 11 | 0 | - | - | 83 | 0 | ||||
| NAC Breda | 2017-18 | Eredivisie | 25 | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 26 | 1 | ||
| 2018-19 | Eredivisie | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 16 | 1 | |||
| Total | 40 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 42 | 2 | ||||
| AIK | 2019 | Allsvenskan | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 26 | 1 | ||
| 2020 | Allsvenskan | 20 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | - | 33 | 1 | ||
| Total | 46 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | - | 59 | 2 | |||
| Ettifaq | 2020-21 | Saudi Pro League | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 24 | 0 | ||
| CSKA Sofia | 2021-22 | Bulgarian First League | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Zürich | 2021-22 | Swiss Super League | 12 | 1 | - | - | - | 12 | 1 | |||
| 2022-23 | Swiss Super League | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | - | 19 | 0 | ||
| Total | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | - | 31 | 1 | |||
| St. Pauli (loan) | 2022-23 | 2. Bundesliga | 17 | 0 | - | - | - | 17 | 0 | |||
| St. Pauli | 2023-24 | 2. Bundesliga | 22 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 26 | 0 | ||
| Total | 39 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 43 | 0 | ||||
| Career total | 446 | 18 | 41 | 4 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 501 | 23 | ||
5.2. International Statistics
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estonia | 2013 | 1 | 0 |
| 2014 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 9 | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | 0 | |
6. Honours
Karol Mets has achieved several team titles and individual recognitions throughout his professional career.
6.1. Club Honours
- Meistriliiga: 2011 (with Flora)
- Estonian Cup: 2012-13 (with Flora)
- Estonian Supercup: 2011, 2012 (with Flora)
- Swiss Super League: 2021-22 (with Zürich)
- 2. Bundesliga: 2023-24 (with FC St. Pauli)
6.2. National Team Honours
- Baltic Cup: 2021 (with Estonia)
6.3. Individual Honours
- Estonian Young Footballer of the Year: 2014