Meistriliiga
Estonian highest league of football
Football league
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 and the top team in Esiliiga that year gets promoted. The second last team plays a two-legged play-off with the second team in Esiliiga for a place in the Meistriliiga.
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.[ 2]
Meistriliiga started using video assistant referee (VAR) from 2023.[ 3]
2024 season
The following 10 clubs will compete in the 2024 Meistriliiga .
a = Founding member of the Meistriliiga
b = Played in every Meistriliiga season
c = Never been relegated from the Meistriliiga
Location of clubs in Estonia for the 2024 Meistriliiga season
Location of clubs in Tallinn for the 2024 Meistriliiga season
Champions
Total titles won
Club
Winners
Runners-up
Winning seasons
Flora
15
7
1993–94 , 1994–95 , 1997–98 , 1998 , 2001 , 2002 , 2003 , 2010 , 2011 , 2015 , 2017 , 2019 , 2020 , 2022 , 2023
FCI Levadia
11
11
1999 , 2000 , 2004 , 2006 , 2007 , 2008 , 2009 , 2013 , 2014 , 2021 , 2024
Nõmme Kalju
2
3
2012 , 2018
Lantana
2
1
1995–96 , 1996–97
Norma
2
1
1992 , 1992–93
TVMK
1
3
2005
FCI Tallinn
1
0
2016
Titles won by club (%)
Flora – 15 (44.1%)
FCI Levadia – 11 (32.4%)
Nõmme Kalju – 2 (5.9%)
Lantana – 2 (5.9%)
Norma - 2 (5.9%)
TVMK – 1 (2.9%)
FCI Tallinn - 1 (2.9%)
All-time Meistriliiga table
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.
Club
Seasons
Titles
1
Flora
32
14
969
682
165
122
2577
768
1809
2211
2.28
2
Levadia 1
24
10
805
578
143
84
2140
591
1549
1877
2.33
3
Narva Trans
32
0
970
434
190
346
1742
1341
401
1492
1.54
4
Nõmme Kalju
15
2
530
313
111
106
1141
502
639
1050
1.98
5
TVMK 2
17
1
452
255
82
115
1073
516
557
847
1.87
6
Tulevik 3
22
0
655
187
112
356
792
1283
−491
673
1.02
7
Paide Linnameeskond
14
0
494
188
87
219
734
845
−111
651
1.32
8
Tammeka
17
0
634
176
117
341
767
1235
−468
645
1.02
9
Sillamäe Kalev
13
0
413
183
65
165
741
681
60
614
1.49
10
Kuressaare
15
0
504
88
75
341
427
1283
−856
339
0.67
11
FCI Tallinn 9
5
1
180
90
41
49
343
212
131
311
1.73
12
Tallinna Kalev
10
0
354
68
55
231
341
860
−519
259
0.73
13
Lantana 5
7
2
160
88
38
34
341
153
188
302
1.89
14
Tallinna Sadam
6
0
132
67
19
46
271
168
103
220
1.67
15
Eesti Põlevkivi
9
0
162
50
40
72
224
276
−52
190
1.17
16
Norma
4
2
78
49
7
22
223
111
112
154
1.97
17
Merkuur 4
6
0
153
41
28
84
204
404
−200
151
0.99
18
Vaprus
7
0
246
35
21
190
235
760
−525
126
0.51
19
Legion
3
0
98
25
22
51
109
174
−65
93
0.95
20
Lootus 6
5
0
148
22
19
107
104
394
−290
85
0.57
21
Warrior
5
0
156
21
18
117
120
425
−305
81
0.52
22
Levadia II 1
3
0
84
20
14
50
106
211
−105
74
0.88
23
Lelle
4
0
80
16
19
45
72
155
−83
67
0.84
24
Dünamo
4
0
89
16
11
62
92
277
−185
59
0.66
25
DAG 7
4
0
68
16
9
43
85
199
−114
57
0.84
26
Viljandi
2
0
72
14
14
44
70
157
−87
56
0.78
27
Vigri
2
0
32
16
7
9
81
55
26
55
1.72
28
Pärnu Linnameeskond
2
0
72
11
10
51
62
185
−123
43
0.60
29
Tervis Pärnu
2
0
46
11
5
30
38
92
−54
38
0.83
30
Keemik
2
0
31
10
6
15
41
72
−31
36
1.16
31
Ajax
3
0
108
7
13
88
60
449
−389
34
0.31
32
Pärnu 8
3
0
38
5
5
28
36
120
−84
20
0.53
33
Lokomotiv
1
0
36
4
6
26
35
115
−80
18
0.50
34
Maardu Linnameeskond
1
0
36
4
5
27
30
118
−88
17
0.47
35
Pärnu Levadia
1
0
28
1
5
22
19
96
−77
8
0.29
36
Tarvas
1
0
36
0
3
33
15
113
−98
3
0.09
37
Vall
1
0
14
0
1
13
9
44
−35
1
0.07
38
Maardu
1
0
9
0
0
9
6
59
−53
0
0
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
Records
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)[ 4]
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 )[ 4]
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)[ 5]
Most goals scored in a season: 138 – TVMK (2005 )[ 4]
Most goals per game in a season: 4.636 – Norma (1992–93 , 102 goals in 22 games)[ 4]
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)[ 4]
Fewest goals conceded in a season: 16 – Levadia (2010 , 36 games)[ 4]
Most clean sheets in one season: 24 – Levadia (2014 )[ 4]
Most consecutive clean sheets: 13 – Levadia (2014 )[ 4]
Biggest win: Tevalte 24–0 Sillamäe Kalev (27 May 1994)[ 4]
Most hat-tricks in a season: 9 – Norma (1992–93 )[ 4]
Player records
As of 9 November 2024. Active players in bold. [ 6]
Oldest player: Boriss Dugan – 51 years and 153 days (for Ajax v. Tammeka , 5 November 2011)[ 4]
Youngest player: Patrik Kristal – 14 years and 245 days (for FCI Levadia v. Tammeka , 15 July 2022)[ 7]
Oldest goalscorer: Sergei Zamogilnõi – 43 years and 16 days (for Eesti Põlevkivi v. Vall , 15 September 1996)[ 4]
Youngest goalscorer: Martin Vetkal – 15 years and 261 days (for Tallinna Kalev v. Tulevik , 9 November 2019)[ 8]
Most goals in a season: 46 – Aleksandrs Čekulajevs (for Narva Trans , 2011 )[ 4]
Most goals in a match: 10 – Anatoli Novožilov (for Tevalte v. Sillamäe Kalev , 27 May 1994)[ 4]
Most consecutive matches scored in: 15 – Tor Henning Hamre (for Flora , 2003 )[ 4]
Most hat-tricks: 22 – Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko [ 4]
Most goals from the penalty spot: 55 – Konstantin Nahk [ 4]
Fastest goal: 7 seconds – Promise David (for Nõmme Kalju v. Nõmme United , 28 May 2024)[ 9]
Fastest own goal: 5 seconds – Jaanis Kriska (for Levadia v. Kuressaare , 12 September 2009)[ 4]
Fastest hat-trick: 5 minutes – Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko (for Flora v. Lootus , 18 October 2004)[ 10] [ 11]
Most clean sheets in one season: 24 – Roman Smishko (for Levadia , 2014 )[ 4]
Longest consecutive run without conceding a goal: 13 games (1,281 minutes) – Roman Smishko (for Levadia , 5 April 2014 – 25 July 2014)[ 12]
Estonian champions
Bold indicates club's first championship victory.
Estonian SSR champions
Balti Laevastik was a Baltic Fleet club
Zvezda Tallinn was a Tallinn garrison club
Dvigatel means Motor/Engine
Notes
^ Tallinna Kalev won two Estonian Championship titles (1923 and 1930) before the formation of the current Meistriliiga
References
External links
Meistriliiga seasons 2024 teamsFormer teams Top division seasons (before Meistriliiga)
National teams Leagues
Men Women Beach soccer Futsal
Domestic cups Awards
Lists Tournaments
International players
International matches
Current Defunct Liechtenstein is the only UEFA member association without a national league.