Meistriliiga

Meistriliiga (pronounced [ˈmeistriliːɡ̊ɑː], known as the A. Le Coq Premium Liiga for sponsorship reasons) 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]

This article is about the Estonian football league. For other uses, see Meistriliiga (disambiguation).
Meistriliiga
Founded1992 (1992)
CountryEstonia
ConfederationUEFA
Number of teams10
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toEsiliiga
Domestic cup(s)Estonian Cup
Estonian Supercup
International cup(s)UEFA Champions League
UEFA Europa Conference League
Current championsFlora (14th title)
(2022)
Most championshipsFlora
(14 titles)
Most appearancesAndrei Kalimullin (517)
Top goalscorerMaksim Gruznov (304 goals)
TV partnersETV2, ETV+, soccernet.ee
Websitejalgpall.ee/liiga
Current: 2023 season

As in most countries with low temperatures in winter time, 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 second last team plays a two-legged play-off 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]

2023 season

The following 10 clubs will compete in the 2023 Meistriliiga.

Club Position
in 2022		 First season
in Meistriliiga		 Seasons in
Meistriliiga		 First season of
current spell		 Number of
seasons of
current spell		 Titles Last title
FCI Levadiac2nd199925199925102021
Floraa, b, c1st199233199233142022
Harjuc1st (EL)20231202310–
Kuressaare5th200016201860–
Narva Transa, b, c7th1992331992330–
Nõmme Kaljuc4th20081620081622018
Paide Linnameeskondc3rd2009152009150–
Tallinna Kalev8th200711202220–
Tammekac6th2005192005190–
Vaprus10th20068202130–

a = Founding member of the Meistriliiga
b = Played in every Meistriliiga season
c = Never been relegated from the Meistriliiga

Champions
Season Champions Runners-up Third place Top goalscorer Goals
1992 Norma Eesti Põlevkivi TVMV Sergei Bragin (Norma)18
1992–93 Norma (2) Flora Nikol Sergei Bragin (Norma)27
1993–94 Flora Norma Nikol Maksim Gruznov (Narva Trans/Tevalte)21
1994–95 Flora (2) Lantana-Marlekor Narva Trans Serhiy Morozov (Lantana-Marlekor)25
1995–96 Lantana Flora Tevalte-Marlekor Lembit Rajala (Flora)16
1996–97 Lantana (2) Flora Tallinna Sadam Sergei Bragin (Lantana)18
1997–98 Flora (3) Tallinna Sadam Lantana Konstantin Kolbassenko (Tallinna Sadam)18
1998 Flora (4) Tallinna Sadam Lantana Konstantin Kolbassenko (Tallinna Sadam)13
1999 Levadia Tulevik Flora Toomas Krõm (Levadia)19
2000 Levadia (2) Flora TVMK Egidijus Juška (TVMK)
Toomas Krõm (Levadia)		24
2001 Flora (5) TVMK Levadia Maksim Gruznov (Narva Trans)37
2002 Flora (6) Levadia TVMK Andrei Krõlov (TVMK)37
2003 Flora (7) TVMK Levadia Tor Henning Hamre (Flora)39
2004 Levadia (3) TVMK Flora Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko (Flora)28
2005 TVMK Levadia Narva Trans Tarmo Neemelo (TVMK)41
2006 Levadia (4) Narva Trans Flora Maksim Gruznov (Narva Trans)31
2007 Levadia (5) Flora TVMK Dmitri Lipartov (Narva Trans)30
2008 Levadia (6) Flora Narva Trans Ingemar Teever (Nõmme Kalju)23
2009 Levadia (7) Sillamäe Kalev Narva Trans Vitali Gussev (Levadia)26
2010 Flora (8) Levadia Narva Trans Sander Post (Flora)24
2011 Flora (9) Nõmme Kalju Narva Trans Aleksandrs Čekulajevs (Narva Trans)46
2012 Nõmme Kalju Levadia Flora Vladislav Ivanov (Sillamäe Kalev/Narva Trans)23
2013 Levadia (8) Nõmme Kalju Sillamäe Kalev Vladimir Voskoboinikov (Nõmme Kalju)23
2014 Levadia (9) Sillamäe Kalev Flora Yevgeni Kabaev (Sillamäe Kalev)36
2015 Flora (10) Levadia Nõmme Kalju Ingemar Teever (Levadia)24
2016 Infonet Levadia Nõmme Kalju Yevgeni Kabaev (Sillamäe Kalev)25
2017 Flora (11) Levadia Nõmme Kalju Albert Prosa (FCI Tallinn)
Rauno Sappinen (Flora)		 27
2018 Nõmme Kalju (2) FCI Levadia Flora Liliu (Nõmme Kalju) 31
2019 Flora (12) FCI Levadia Nõmme Kalju Erik Sorga (Flora) 31
2020 Flora (13) Paide Linnameeskond FCI Levadia Rauno Sappinen (Flora) 26
2021 FCI Levadia (10) Flora Paide Linnameeskond Henri Anier (Paide Linnameeskond) 26
2022 Flora (14) FCI Levadia Paide Linnameeskond Zakaria Beglarishvili (FCI Levadia) 21

Total titles won
Club 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Winning seasons
Flora 14 7 6 1993–94, 1994–95, 1997–98, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022
FCI Levadia 10 10 3 1999, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2021
Nõmme Kalju 2 2 4 2012, 2018
Lantana 2 1 2 1995–96, 1996–97
Norma 2 1 0 1992, 1992–93
TVMK 1 3 5 2005
FCI Tallinn 1 0 0 2016
Tallinna Sadam 0 2 1
Sillamäe Kalev 0 2 1
Paide Linnameeskond 0 2 1
Narva Trans 0 1 6
Eesti Põlevkivi 0 1 0
Tulevik 0 1 0
Nikol 0 0 2

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.

Pos.
Club
Seasons
Titles
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
PPG
1Flora32149696821651222577768180922112.28
2Levadia12410805578143842140591154918772.33
3Narva Trans3209704341903461742134140114921.54
4Nõmme Kalju152530313111106114150263910501.98
5TVMK2151408225761079664804867511.84
6Tulevik32206551871123567921283−4916731.02
7Paide Linnameeskond14049418887219734845−1116511.32
8Tammeka1706341761173417671235−4686451.02
9Sillamäe Kalev13041318365165741681606141.49
10Kuressaare15050488753414271283−8563390.67
11FCI Tallinn9511809041493432121313111.73
12Tallinna Kalev1003546855231341860−5192590.73
13Lantana621387334312711441272531.83
14Tallinna Sadam601326719462711681032201.67
15Eesti Põlevkivi90162504072224276−521901.17
16Norma4278497222231111121541.97
17Merkuur460153412884204404−2001510.99
18Vaprus702463521190235760−5251260.51
19Vigri5305431111215164871041.93
20Nikol204430681073671962.18
21Legion3098252251109174−65930.95
22Lootus6501482219107104394−290850.57
23Warrior501562118117120425−305810.52
24Levadia II13084201450106211−105740.88
25Lelle408016194572155−83670.84
26Dünamo408916116292277−185590.66
27DAG740681694385199−114570.84
28Viljandi207214144470157−87560.78
29Pärnu Linnameeskond207211105162185−123430.60
30Tervis Pärnu2046115303892−54380.83
31Keemik2031106154172−31361.16
32Ajax301087138860449−389340.31
33Pärnu83038552836120−84200.53
34Lokomotiv1036462635115−80180.50
35Maardu Linnameeskond1036452730118−88170.47
36Pärnu Levadia102815221996−7780.29
37Tarvas1036033315113−9830.09
38Vall10140113944−3510.07
39Maardu109009659−5300
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, 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: 1992–1993 Vigri, 1993–1995 Tevalte, 1996–1999 Vigri
  • 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 8: 2011–2016 Infonet, 2017 FCI Tallinn

Records
All as of end of 2022 season if not stated otherwise.

Club records

Player records
As of 1 June 2023. Active players in bold.[6][7]

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

References
  1. "Eesti jalgpalli meistriliiga jätkub teisipäeval uue formaadiga" (in Estonian). Postimees Sport. 14 May 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  2. "Kodune tippjalgpall saab peatoetaja" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association. 26 February 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  3. "Premium liiga võtab kasutusele VAR-i". ERR. 3 October 2022.
  4. "SPORT-EKSTRA: Statistikapomm! Millised rekordeid omavad FC Norma, Raio Piiroja ja hooaeg 1997-98?". Õhtuleht. 6 March 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  5. "Levadia üritab kaotuseta Transist mööda tõusta". Estonian Football Association. 15 April 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  6. "Premium liigas kõige rohkem mänginute ja väravaküttide TOP 100". Estonian Football Association. 24 November 2019.
  7. "Premium liiga TOP". jalgpall.ee. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  8. "Eesti jalgpallilegendi 14-aastane poeg tegi meistriliiga ajalugu". Delfi Sport. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  9. "Viimases voorus purustati meistriliiga ajaloo noorima väravalööja rekord". soccernet.ee. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  10. "Saharovi nimele liigaajaloo kiireim värav". Eesti Rahvusringhääling. 10 September 2004. Archived from the original on 25 May 2014.
  11. "Eile sündis Meistriliiga ajaloo kiireim värav". Soccernet.ee. 13 September 2009.
  12. "VIDEO: Vladislav Ivanov lõi Transile värava juba 14. sekundil". Eesti Rahvusringhääling. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  13. "Kalju, Flora ja Levadia ei jätnud vastasele võimalust". Postimees. 12 May 2012.
  14. "Laupäeval võib selguda Eesti meister". Soccernet.ee. 22 October 2004.
  15. "Infonet üllatas põnevusmängus Levadiat, Smiško võimas rekordseeria sai lõpu". Postimees. 25 July 2014.
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