# Rauno Sappinen

Rauno Sappinen (born 23 January 1996) is an Estonian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Flora and the Estonia national team.

## Club career
### Flora

Sappinen came through the youth system at Flora and made his debut in the Meistriliiga on 2 March 2013, in a 4–1 home win over Tallinna Kalev. He won his first Meistriliiga title in the 2015 season. Sappinen's performances in 2015 also saw him voted Estonian Young Footballer of the Year. He was Flora's top goalscorer in the league for three consecutive seasons from 2015 to 2017, and joint top scorer in the Meistriliiga in 2017, alongside Albert Prosa. Sappinen won his second Meistriliiga title in the 2017 season, and was named Meistriliiga Player of the Year.

#### Loan to Beerschot Wilrijk

On 31 January 2018, Sappinen joined Belgian club Beerschot Wilrijk on loan until the end of the season. He made his debut for the club on 9 February 2018, in a 0–0 home draw against Westerlo.

#### Loan to Den Bosch

On 13 August 2018, Sappinen joined Dutch club Den Bosch on loan until the end of the season. He made his debut in the Eerste Divisie on 17 August 2018, and scored the winning goal in a 2–1 away victory over Volendam.

#### Loan to Domžale

On 14 August 2019, Sappinen penned a three-year loan deal with Slovenian club Domžale.

#### Return to Flora

On 6 July 2021, Sappinen scored both goals in Flora's win over Hibernians in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League first qualifying round match. He would score again in the second leg a week later as Flora won 5–0 on aggregate and progressed to the second qualifying round for just the third time in club history.

### Poland

On 22 December 2021, Sappinen signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Polish Ekstraklasa club Piast Gliwice, effective from 1 February 2022.
On 24 January 2023, Sappinen joined Stal Mielec on loan until the end of the season with an option to buy.

### Hapoel Jerusalem

In July 2023, Sappinen signed a one-year contract with Hapoel Jerusalem with an option for a two-year extension. Already on 19 August in a derby game against Beitar in the League Cup, Sappinen got a serious injury that meant his season was over. In September they decided to end the contract on mutual consent.

## International career

Sappinen began his international career for Estonia in 2011 with the under-16 national team, and has captained the under-19 and under-21 national sides.
Sappinen made his senior international debut for Estonia on 11 November 2015, in a 3–0 home victory over Georgia in a friendly. He scored his first international goal on 19 November 2016, in a 1–1 away draw against Saint Kitts and Nevis in a friendly.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 19 July 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | Continental | Continental | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Flora III | 2012 | II liiga | 12 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 9 |
| Flora II | 2012 | Esiliiga | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 1 |
| Flora II | 2013 | Esiliiga | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 0 |
| Flora II | 2014 | Esiliiga | 14 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 14 | 5 |
| Flora II | Total | Total | 32 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 34 | 6 |
| Flora | 2013 | Meistriliiga | 23 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 5 |
| Flora | 2014 | Meistriliiga | 12 | 2 | 3 | 4 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 16 | 6 |
| Flora | 2015 | Meistriliiga | 32 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 37 | 18 |
| Flora | 2016 | Meistriliiga | 32 | 19 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 24 |
| Flora | 2017 | Meistriliiga | 35 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 27 |
| Flora | 2018 | Meistriliiga | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Flora | 2020 | Meistriliiga | 23 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 30 | 25 |
| Flora | 2021 | Meistriliiga | 15 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 18 |
| Flora | Total | Total | 174 | 103 | 24 | 10 | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 219 | 124 |
| Beerschot Wilrijk (loan) | 2017–18 | Belgian First Division B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Den Bosch (loan) | 2018–19 | Eerste Divisie | 30 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 32 | 6 |
| Domžale (loan) | 2019–20 | Slovenian PrvaLiga | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 11 | 2 |
| Flora | 2020 | Meistriliiga | 28 | 26 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 28 |
| Flora | 2021 | Meistriliiga | 30 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 44 | 34 |
| Flora | Total | Total | 58 | 49 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 79 | 62 |
| Piast Gliwice | 2021–22 | Ekstraklasa | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Piast Gliwice | 2022–23 | Ekstraklasa | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 |
| Piast Gliwice | Total | Total | 19 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 |
| Stal Mielec | 2022–23 | Ekstraklasa | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3 |
| Hapoel Jerusalem | 2023–24 | Israeli Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 292 | 130 | 31 | 10 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 4 | 351 | 152 |
* ↑ Includes Estonian Cup, KNVB Cup, Slovenian Cup
* 1 2 3 Appearances in UEFA Europa League
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Appearances in Estonian Super Cup
* 1 2 Appearances in UEFA Champions League
* ↑ Two appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, one appearance in UEFA Europa League
* ↑ One appearance and one goal in UEFA Champions League, two appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa League
* ↑ Appearance in UEFA Europa League play-offs
* ↑ Appearance in Eredivisie promotion/relegation play-offs
* ↑ Appearances in Toto Cup

### International

    As of match played 8 September 2024
Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Estonia | 2015 | 2 | 0 |
| Estonia | 2016 | 9 | 1 |
| Estonia | 2017 | 5 | 1 |
| Estonia | 2018 | 2 | 0 |
| Estonia | 2019 | 7 | 0 |
| Estonia | 2020 | 7 | 4 |
| Estonia | 2021 | 11 | 2 |
| Estonia | 2022 | 6 | 2 |
| Estonia | 2023 | 4 | 2 |
| Estonia | 2024 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 55 | 12 |
    Scores and results list Estonia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Sappinen goal.
List of international goals scored by Rauno Sappinen :
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 19 November 2016 | Warner Park, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis | 11 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 12 November 2017 | National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta | 13 | Malta | 1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 3 | 11 October 2020 | A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia | 28 | North Macedonia | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League C |
| 4 | 11 October 2020 | A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia | 28 | North Macedonia | 2–1 | 3–3 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League C |
| 5 | 14 October 2020 | A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia | 29 | Armenia | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League C |
| 6 | 15 November 2020 | National Arena Toše Proeski, Skopje, North Macedonia | 31 | North Macedonia | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League C |
| 7 | 24 March 2021 | Arena Lublin, Lublin, Poland | 33 | Czech Republic | 1–0 | 2–6 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 4 June 2021 | Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland | 37 | Finland | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 9 | 23 September 2022 | A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia | 46 | Malta | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League D |
| 10 | 26 September 2022 | Olympic Stadium, Serravalle, San Marino | 47 | San Marino | 3–0 | 4–0 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League D |
| 11 | 27 March 2023 | Raiffeisen Arena, Linz, Austria | 51 | Austria | 1–0 | 1–2 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |
| 12 | 17 June 2023 | Dalga Arena, Baku, Azerbaijan | 52 | Azerbaijan | 1–0 | 1–1 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |

## Honours

Flora
* Meistriliiga: 2015, 2017, 2020
* Estonian Cup: 2012–13, 2015–16
* Estonian Supercup: 2014, 2016, 2021

### Individual

* Estonian Footballer of the Year: 2020
* Estonian Young Footballer of the Year: 2015, 2018
* Meistriliiga Player of the Month: October 2015, June 2017
* Meistriliiga Player of the Year: 2017
* Meistriliiga Top scorer: 2017, 2020
* Meistriliiga Fans Player of the Year: 2015, 2017
* Meistriliiga Team of the season: 2020