Maksim Paskotši
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Maksim Paskotši[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 19 January 2003 | ||
| Place of birth | Tallinn, Estonia[2] | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | KAA Gent | ||
| Number | 3 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2011–2013 | SK Everest Tallinn | ||
| 2014–2017 | Tallinna Kalev | ||
| 2018–2020 | Flora | ||
| 2020–2023 | Tottenham Hotspur | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018–2020 | Flora II | 31 | (0) |
| 2020 | Flora | 0 | (0) |
| 2020–2023 | Tottenham Hotspur | 0 | (0) |
| 2023–2025 | Grasshoppers | 55 | (2) |
| 2025– | Gent | 13 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2018 | Estonia U16 | 4 | (0) |
| 2019 | Estonia U17 | 11 | (1) |
| 2021– | Estonia | 40 | (1) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 6 December 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 14 October 2025 | |||
Maksim Paskotši (born 19 January 2003) is an Estonian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Belgian Pro League club KAA Gent and the Estonia national team.[3]
Club career
Paskotši made his senior debut for FC Flora on the 20 June 2020, starting as a central defender in the 4–2 Estonian Cup victory against FC Elva.[2] He joined English club Tottenham Hotspur for an undisclosed fee on 21 September 2020.[4] On 19 August 2021, Paskotši made his debut for Tottenham by coming on as a substitute in the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League competition against Paços de Ferreira, which ended in a 1–0 defeat.[5]
On 6 September 2023, Paskotši officially joined Swiss side Grasshoppers on a permanent deal, signing a three-year contract.[6][7] In the process, he became the club's first ever Estonian player.[6] On 12 April 2025, he scored the opening goal in a 2–1 win away against Yverdon-Sport, his first for the Swiss record champions.[8]
On 4 August 2025, he transferred to Belgian Pro League side KAA Gent for an undisclosed fee,[9] just two days after scoring his second goal for Grasshoppers. He joined Gent with a contract until 2029.[10] He started in his first match on 9 August 2025 against Royale Union Saint-Gilloise and scored a stoppage time header, the final goal in the 2–3 home defeat.[11]
International career
Paskotši made his international debut for Estonia on 24 March 2021 in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification match against the Czech Republic.[2]
He was part of the Estonian side that won the 2020 Baltic Cup (played in 2021 due to restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic).[12]
On 4 June 2024, he captained the national team in a friendly against Switzerland.[2]
He scored his first international goal on 22 March 2025, in a 1–2 loss to Israel in their opening game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.[2]
Career statistics
Club
- As of 6 December 2025[2]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup[a] | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Flora | 2020 | Meistriliiga | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2021 | Meistriliiga | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Tottenham Hotspur U21 | 2021–22 | – | 1[b] | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||||||||
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2021–22 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| 2022–23 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Grasshopper | 2023–24 | Swiss Super League | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1[d] | 0 | 29 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25 | 25 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 2[d] | 0 | 30 | 1 | ||||
| 2025–26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 55 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 61 | 2 | ||
| Gent | 2025–26 | Belgian Pro League | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 15 | 1 | |||
| Career total | 68 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 80 | 3 | ||
- ^ Includes Estonian Cup and Swiss Cup
- ^ Appearance(s) in the EFL Trophy
- ^ Appearance(s) in the UEFA Europa Conference League
- ^ a b Includes Super League relegation play-offs
International
- As of 14 October 2025[2]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estonia | 2021 | 11 | 0 |
| 2022 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | |
| Total | 40 | 1 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 22 March 2025 | Nagyerdei Stadion, Debrecen, Hungary | Israel | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
Estonia
References
- ^ "Updated squad lists for 2020/21 Premier League". Premier League. 5 February 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Maksim Paskotši at Soccerway
- ^ Maksim Paskotši at WorldFootball.net
- ^ McCarthy, Robert (22 September 2020). "Tottenham swoop to sign impressive young Estonian centre-back". TEAMtalk. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
- ^ "Paços de Ferreira 1–0 Tottenham Hotspur". BBC Sport. 19 August 2021.
- ^ a b "GC Zurich signs centre-back Maksim Paskotši". Grasshopper Club Zürich. 6 September 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "Schweizer Fussball-News - Basel holt Rüegg – Estnischer Innenverteidiger für GC". SRF (in Swiss High German). 6 September 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
- ^ "1–2 Sieg in Yverdon!". Grasshopper Club Zürich. 12 April 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ^ "Maksim Paskotsi verlässt den Grasshopper Club Zürich" (in Swiss High German). Grasshopper Club Zurich. 4 August 2025. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
- ^ "Paskotši ruilt Zürich voor Gent" (in Flemish). KAA Gent. 4 August 2025. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
- ^ "KAA Gent vs Union SG". Jupiler Pro League. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ a b "Mängud".
External links
- Maksim Paskotši at the Estonian Football Association (in Estonian)
- Maksim Paskotši national team profile at the Estonian Football Association (archive) (in Estonian)