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Meistriliiga
Estonian highest league of football From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Meistriliiga (pronounced [ˈmeistriliːɡ̊ɑː]), officially known as A. Le Coq Premium Liiga for sponsorship reasons, and commonly known as the Premium Liiga, is the highest division of the Estonian Football Association annual football championship. The league was founded in 1992, and was initially semi-professional with amateur clubs allowed to compete. With the help of solidarity mechanisms, the league is fully professional since the 2020 season.[1]
As in most countries with low temperatures in winter, the season starts in March and ends in November. Meistriliiga consists of ten clubs, all teams play each other four times.
After each season, the bottom team is relegated to the Esiliiga, the Estonian second division league. The second last team plays a two-legged play-off with the second team in the Esiliiga for a place in the Meistriliiga.
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History
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Origins
The first Estonian Football Championship title was played out in 1921 and was won by Sport, who later went on to lift nine league titles and was the most successful Estonian football club during the country's first period of independence. The championship was initially played as a knock-out tournament, before league format was adapted in 1929.[2] During the last 1939–40 season, Tartu Olümpia became the first club outside of capital city Tallinn to be crowned the Estonian champions, and have remained to be the only non-Tallinn club to do so until present day.[3]
Estonia lost its independence through Soviet occupation in World War II, after which former clubs were forced to dissolve and Estonian SSR Championship was established. During the occupation, native Estonians started to desist from practicing football and the local championships were mostly played by teams consisting of local Russians.[4][5]
Meistriliiga
Estonia restored its independence in 1991 and in the following year, Meistriliiga was established. After 52 years, Estonian clubs could once again play for the Estonian Football Championship title. The number of teams participating in the league varied from 8 to 14 until 2005, since then the league has been played with 10 teams.[6] First live TV broadcasts began in 2008, and in 2020, first league matches were broadcast on foreign TV channels.[7]
In February 2013, A. Le Coq, an Estonian brewery company, signed a five-year cooperation agreement with the Estonian Football Association, which included Meistriliiga naming rights.[8] Since then, the league has been known as the Premium Liiga.
In 2020, the league became fully professional as the Estonian Football Association began financially supporting clubs that do not qualify for European spots.[9]
Premium Liiga started using video assistant referee (VAR) from 2023.[10]
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2025 season
The following 10 clubs will compete in the 2025 Meistriliiga.
a = Founding member of the Meistriliiga
b = Played in every Meistriliiga season
c = Never been relegated from the Meistriliiga
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Location of clubs in Estonia for the 2025 Meistriliiga season |
Location of clubs in Tallinn for the 2025 Meistriliiga season
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Champions
Total titles won
Titles won by club (%)
- Flora – 15 (44.1%)
- FCI Levadia – 11 (32.4%)
- Nõmme Kalju – 2 (5.90%)
- Lantana – 2 (5.90%)
- Norma - 2 (5.90%)
- TVMK – 1 (2.90%)
- FCI Tallinn - 1 (2.90%)
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All-time Meistriliiga table
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The table is a cumulative record of all match results, points and goals of every team that has played in the Meistriliiga since its inception in 1992. The table that follows is accurate as of the end of the 2022 season. Teams in bold play in the Meistriliiga 2023 season. Numbers in bold are the record (highest) numbers in each column.
In this ranking 3 points are awarded for a win, 1 for a draw, and 0 for a loss, although Meistriliiga awarded 2 points for a win until the 1994–95 season. Championship matches, relegation matches and relegation tournament matches involving clubs of lower leagues are not counted. In 1992 Preliminary Round matches were played in two groups. The results of the matches played between teams in same group were taken to second round, thus counted twice, in this table these results are counted once.
The table is sorted by all-time points.
- Notes
- Note 1: 1999–2003 FC Levadia Maardu, 2004– FC Levadia. Not to be confused with FC Levadia Tallinn 2001–2003 a separate team owned by the steel company Levadia. In 2004 the clubs were merged FC Levadia Maardu were moved to Tallinn and became FC Levadia, former FC Levadia Tallinn became their reserves as FC Levadia II.
- Note 2: 1992 TVMV, 1992-1994 Nikol, 1995–1996 Tevalte-Marlekor, 1996–1997 Marlekor, 1997–2008 TVMK
- Note 3: 1992 Viljandi JK, 1993– Viljandi Tulevik
- Note 4: 1992–2005 Merkuur, 2006 Maag
- Note 5: 1993–1994 Tevalte, 1995–1999 Lantana
- Note 6: 2000–2003 Kohtla-Järve Lootus, 2004 Alutaguse Lootus, 2005–2012 Kohtla-Järve Lootus, then merged and became Kohtla-Järve JK Järve
- Note 7: 1992 Tartu Kalev, 1992–1994 EsDAG, 1994– DAG
- Note 8: 1992 Pärnu JK, 1994–1996 PJK Kalev
- Note 9: 2011–2016 Infonet, 2017 FCI Tallinn
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Records
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- All as of end of 2024 season if not stated otherwise.
Club records
- Most seasons in the Meistriliiga: 34 – Flora and Narva Trans (all seasons, 1992–present)
- Most consecutive seasons in the Meistriliiga: 34 – Flora and Narva Trans (all seasons, 1992–present)
- Most titles: 15 – Flora
- Most consecutive titles: 4 – Levadia (2006–2009)
- Biggest title-winning margin: 21 points – 2009; Levadia (97 points) over Sillamäe Kalev (76 points)[11]
- Smallest title-winning margin: 0 points – 1993–94; Flora and Norma both finished on 36 points, Flora won the title in a championship play-off match 5–2.
- Most points in a season: 97 – Levadia (2009), Flora (2022)[11]
- Fewest points in a season: 0 – Maardu (1992)
- Most wins in a season: 31 – Levadia (2009, 36 games), Flora (2022, 36 games)
- Fewest wins in a season: 0 – PJK/Kalev (1995–96, 14 games), Vall (1996–97, 14 games), Lelle (1998, 14 games), Ajax (2011, 36 games), Tarvas (2016, 36 games)
- Most consecutive wins: 17 – Norma (15 May 1992 – 2 October 1993)
- Most defeats in a season: 33 – Tarvas (2016, 36 games)
- Most consecutive matches undefeated: 61 – Levadia (10 May 2008 – 7 November 2009)[12]
- Most goals scored in a season: 138 – TVMK (2005)[11]
- Most goals per game in a season: 4.636 – Norma (1992–93, 102 goals in 22 games)[11]
- Fewest goals scored in a season: 11 – Sillamäe Kalev (1993–94, 22 games), Valga (2000, 28 games), Kuressaare (2003, 28 games), Lootus (2004, 28 games), Ajax (2011, 36 games)
- Fewest goals per game in a season: 0.306 – Ajax (2011, 11 goals in 36 games)
- Most goals conceded in a season: 192 – Ajax (2011, 36 games)[11]
- Fewest goals conceded in a season: 16 – Levadia (2010, 36 games)[11]
- Most clean sheets in one season: 24 – Levadia (2014)[11]
- Most consecutive clean sheets: 13 – Levadia (2014)[11]
- Biggest win: Tevalte 24–0 Sillamäe Kalev (27 May 1994)[11]
- Most hat-tricks in a season: 9 – Norma (1992–93)[11]
Player records
- As of 9 November 2024. Active players in bold.[13]
- Oldest player: Boriss Dugan – 51 years and 153 days (for Ajax v. Tammeka, 5 November 2011)[11]
- Youngest player: Patrik Kristal – 14 years and 245 days (for FCI Levadia v. Tammeka, 15 July 2022)[14]
- Oldest goalscorer: Sergei Zamogilnõi – 43 years and 16 days (for Eesti Põlevkivi v. Vall, 15 September 1996)[11]
- Youngest goalscorer: Martin Vetkal – 15 years and 261 days (for Tallinna Kalev v. Tulevik, 9 November 2019)[15]
- Most goals in a season: 46 – Aleksandrs Čekulajevs (for Narva Trans, 2011)[11]
- Most goals in a match: 10 – Anatoli Novožilov (for Tevalte v. Sillamäe Kalev, 27 May 1994)[11]
- Most consecutive matches scored in: 15 – Tor Henning Hamre (for Flora, 2003)[11]
- Most hat-tricks: 22 – Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko[11]
- Most goals from the penalty spot: 55 – Konstantin Nahk[11]
- Fastest goal: 7 seconds – Promise David (for Nõmme Kalju v. Nõmme United, 28 May 2024)[16]
- Fastest own goal: 5 seconds – Jaanis Kriska (for Levadia v. Kuressaare, 12 September 2009)[11]
- Fastest hat-trick: 5 minutes – Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko (for Flora v. Lootus, 18 October 2004)[17][18]
- Most clean sheets in one season: 24 – Roman Smishko (for Levadia, 2014)[11]
- Longest consecutive run without conceding a goal: 13 games (1,281 minutes) – Roman Smishko (for Levadia, 5 April 2014 – 25 July 2014)[19]
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Estonian champions 1921–1940
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The Estonian Football Championship was first established in 1921 and the title for the Estonian champion was played out on 19 occasions, before Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940. The league was named A-klass from 1921 to 1923, I klass from 1924 to 1926 and Liiduklass from 1927 until 1940.[2]
- 1921 – Sport Tallinn (1)
- 1922 – Sport Tallinn (2)
- 1923 – Kalev Tallinn (1)
- 1924 – Sport Tallinn (3)
- 1925 – Sport Tallinn (4)
- 1926 – Tallinna Jalgpalli Klubi (1)
- 1927 – Sport Tallinn (5)
- 1928 – Tallinna Jalgpalli Klubi (2)
- 1929 – Sport Tallinn (6)
- 1930 – Kalev Tallinn (2)
- 1931 – Sport Tallinn (7)
- 1932 – Sport Tallinn (8)
- 1933 – Sport Tallinn (9)
- 1934 – Estonia Tallinn (1)
- 1935 – Estonia Tallinn (2)
- 1936 – Estonia Tallinn (3)
- 1937–38 – Estonia Tallinn (4)
- 1938–39 – Estonia Tallinn (5)
- 1939–40 – Olümpia Tartu (1)
- 1941 – Not finished
- 1942 – PSR Tartu (1) (unofficial)
- 1943 – Estonia Tallinn (6) (unofficial)
- 1944 – Not finished
Bold indicates club's first championship victory.
Total titles won
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Estonian SSR champions
- 1945 – Dünamo Tallinn
- 1946 – Balti Laevastik Tallinn
- 1947 – Dünamo Tallinn
- 1948 – Balti Laevastik Tallinn
- 1949 – Dünamo Tallinn
- 1950 – Dünamo Tallinn
- 1951 – Balti Laevastik Tallinn
- 1952 – Balti Laevastik Tallinn
- 1953 – Dünamo Tallinn
- 1954 – Dünamo Tallinn
- 1955 – Kalev Tallinn
- 1956 – Balti Laevastik Tallinn
- 1957 – Kalev Ülemiste
- 1958 – Kalev Ülemiste
- 1959 – Kalev Ülemiste
- 1960 – Balti Laevastik Tallinn
- 1961 – Kalev Kopli
- 1962 – Kalev Ülemiste
- 1963 – Tempo Tallinn
- 1964 – Norma Tallinn
- 1965 – Balti Laevastik Tallinn
- 1966 – Balti Laevastik Tallinn
- 1967 – Norma Tallinn
- 1968 – Balti Laevastik Tallinn
- 1969 – Dvigatel Tallinn
- 1970 – Norma Tallinn
- 1971 – Tempo Tallinn
- 1972 – Balti Laevastik Tallinn
- 1973 – Kreenholm Narva
- 1974 – Baltika Narva
- 1975 – Baltika Narva
- 1976 – Dvigatel Tallinn
- 1977 – Baltika Narva
- 1978 – Dünamo Tallinn
- 1979 – Norma Tallinn
- 1980 – Dünamo Tallinn
- 1981 – Dünamo Tallinn
- 1982 – Tempo Tallinn
- 1983 – Dünamo Tallinn
- 1984 – Estonia Jõhvi
- 1985 – Kalakombinaat/MEK Pärnu
- 1986 – Zvezda Tallinn
- 1987 – Tempo Tallinn
- 1988 – Norma Tallinn
- 1989 – Zvezda Tallinn
- 1990 – TVMK Tallinn
- 1991 – TVMK Tallinn
- Balti Laevastik was a Baltic Fleet club
- Zvezda Tallinn was a Tallinn garrison club
- Dvigatel means Motor/Engine
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Notes
- Tallinna Kalev won two Estonian Championship titles (1923 and 1930) before the formation of the current Meistriliiga
References
External links
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