| Season | 2016 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Infonet (1st title) |
| Relegated | Tarvas |
| Champions League | Infonet |
| Europa League | Levadia Nõmme Kalju Flora |
| Matches | 180 |
| Goals | 582 (3.23 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Yevgeni Kabaev (25 goals) |
| Best goalkeeper | Sergei Lepmets (18 clean sheets) |
| Biggest home win | Paide 7–0Tarvas (23 August 2016) |
| Biggest away win | Tarvas 0–6Trans (1 October 2016) Pärnu 1–7Trans (29 October 2016) |
| Highest scoring | Levadia 7–1Paide (24 July 2016) Pärnu 1–7Trans (29 October 2016) |
| Longest winning run | 10 matches Infonet |
| Longest unbeaten run | 14 matches Infonet |
| Longest winless run | 36 matches Tarvas |
| Longest losing run | 16 matches Tarvas |
←2015 2017 → | |
The2016 Meistriliiga (known asA. Le Coq Premium Liiga for sponsorship reasons[1]) was the 26th season of theMeistriliiga, the highest division ofEstonianfootball system. The season began on 4 March 2016 and concluded on 5 November 2016.[2][3]
Infonet won the league on the last matchday of the season, finishing with 80 points. It was their first league title.[4]
A total of 10 teams will contest the league. These include 9 teams from the2015 season and one promoted team from the2015 Esiliiga:Tarvas, making their debut in the top flight. Tarvas replacesTulevik who were relegated from the Meistriliiga after a single season. In therelegation play-offTammeka successfully defended their league spot by defeating challengersTallinna Kalev.
| Team | Location | Stadium | Seating capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flora | Tallinn | A. Le Coq Arena | 9,692[5] |
| Infonet | Tallinn | Infonet Lasnamäe Stadium | 400[6] |
| Levadia | Tallinn | Kadriorg Stadium | 5,000[7] |
| Narva Trans | Narva | Kreenholm Stadium | 1,065[8] |
| Nõmme Kalju | Tallinn | Hiiu Stadium | 300[9] |
| Paide Linnameeskond | Paide | Paide linnastaadion | 268[10] |
| Pärnu Linnameeskond | Pärnu | Pärnu Rannastaadion | 1,501 |
| Sillamäe Kalev | Sillamäe | Sillamäe Kalev Stadium | 800[11] |
| Tammeka | Tartu | Tamme Stadium | 1,750[12] |
| Tarvas | Rakvere | Rakvere linnastaadion | 1,785[13] |
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined underFIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flora | Nike | Tele2[14] | ||
| Infonet | Joma | Infonet | ||
| Levadia | Adidas | Viimsi Keevitus | ||
| Narva Trans | Nike | Sportland | ||
| Nõmme Kalju | Adidas | Optibet[15] | ||
| Paide Linnameeskond | Nike | Enemat | ||
| Pärnu Linnameeskond | Hummel | Wendre[16] | ||
| Sillamäe Kalev | Uhlsport | Alexela | ||
| Tammeka | Nike | Sportland | ||
| Tarvas | Nike | Aqva Hotel & Spa |
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Replaced by | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Levadia | Sacked | 7 November 2015[17] | Pre-season | 7 November 2015[17] | ||
| Nõmme Kalju | Caretaker spell over | 7 November 2015[18] | 7 November 2015[18] | |||
| Sillamäe Kalev | Sacked | 24 May 2016[19] | 8th | 24 May 2016 | ||
| Tarvas | Sacked | 4 June 2016[20] | 10th | 4 June 2016 | ||
| Flora | Resigned | 8 July 2016[21] | 4th | 8 July 2016 | ||
| Levadia | Sacked | 11 July 2016[22] | 2nd | 11 July 2016[23] | ||
| Flora | Caretaker spell over | 13 July 2016 | 4th | 13 July 2016[24] |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Infonet Tallinn(C) | 36 | 24 | 8 | 4 | 74 | 33 | +41 | 80 | Qualification for theChampions League first qualifying round |
| 2 | Levadia Tallinn | 36 | 24 | 6 | 6 | 77 | 30 | +47 | 78 | Qualification for theEuropa League first qualifying round[a] |
| 3 | Nõmme Kalju | 36 | 22 | 9 | 5 | 70 | 28 | +42 | 75 | |
| 4 | Flora Tallinn | 36 | 21 | 10 | 5 | 96 | 31 | +65 | 73 | |
| 5 | Sillamäe Kalev | 36 | 14 | 9 | 13 | 65 | 55 | +10 | 51 | |
| 6 | Paide Linnameeskond | 36 | 14 | 6 | 16 | 58 | 61 | −3 | 48 | |
| 7 | Tartu Tammeka | 36 | 12 | 5 | 19 | 43 | 65 | −22 | 41 | |
| 8 | Narva Trans | 36 | 11 | 8 | 17 | 60 | 68 | −8 | 41 | |
| 9 | Pärnu Linnameeskond(O) | 36 | 5 | 2 | 29 | 24 | 98 | −74 | 17 | Qualification for therelegation play-offs |
| 10 | Rakvere Tarvas(R) | 36 | 0 | 3 | 33 | 15 | 113 | −98 | 3 | Relegation to theEsiliiga |
At season's end Pärnu, the ninth place club, participated in a two-legged play-off withMaardu Linnameeskond, the runners-up (of independent teams) of the2016 Esiliiga, for the spot in 2017 Meistriliiga.[27]
| 12 November 2016 | Maardu Linnameeskond | 1–5 | Pärnu Linnameeskond | Maardu |
| 13:00UTC+2 | Zelentsov | Report | Aristov Saarts Tutk Vihmoja | Stadium:Maardu artificial turf Attendance: 86 Referee:Juri Frischer |
| 19 November 2016 | Pärnu Linnameeskond | 4–3 | Maardu Linnameeskond | Pärnu |
| 13:00UTC+2 | Saarts Boldyrev Pärnat Vunk | Report | Abdullajev Krivošein Zelentsov | Stadium:Pärnu artificial turf Attendance: 135 Referee:Kristo Tohver |
Each team plays every opponent four times, twice at home and twice away, for a total of 36 games.
First half of season[edit]
Source:Estonian Football Association Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win. | Second half of season[edit]
Source:Estonian Football Association Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win. Notes:
|
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals[28] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sillamäe Kalev | 25 | |
| 2 | Flora | 19 | |
| Paide Linnameeskond | |||
| 4 | Flora | 15 | |
| 5 | Levadia | 14 | |
| Narva Trans | |||
| Nõmme Kalju | |||
| Flora | |||
| 9 | Tammeka | 12 | |
| Infonet |
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flora | Tarvas | 6–0 | 8 March 2016[29] | |
| Paide Linnameeskond | Tarvas | 4–2 | 13 May 2016[30] | |
| Flora | Sillamäe Kalev | 4–2 | 13 May 2016[31] | |
| Flora | Tarvas | 5–0 | 19 June 2016[32] | |
| Narva Trans | Tammeka | 4–1 | 19 June 2016[33] | |
| Paide Linnameeskond | Tammeka | 3–0 | 9 July 2016[34] | |
| Nõmme Kalju | Tarvas | 6–1 | 10 July 2016[35] | |
| Levadia | Paide Linnameeskond | 7–1 | 24 July 2016[36] | |
| Flora | Paide Linnameeskond | 3–0 | 29 July 2016[37] | |
| Sillamäe Kalev | Tammeka | 5–1 | 30 July 2016[38] | |
| Paide Linnameeskond | Pärnu Linnameeskond | 4–1 | 9 September 2016[39] | |
| Tammeka | Tarvas | 5–0 | 9 September 2016[40] | |
| Nõmme Kalju | Pärnu Linnameeskond | 4–0 | 17 September 2016[41] | |
| Flora | Pärnu Linnameeskond | 6–1 | 1 October 2016[42] | |
| Narva Trans | Pärnu Linnameeskond | 7–1 | 29 October 2016[43] |
4Player scored 4 goals.
5Player scored 5 goals.
| Club | Average attendance[44] |
|---|---|
| Tallinna FC Flora | 388 |
| Nõmme JK Kalju | 321 |
| Tartu JK Tammeka | 297 |
| Pärnu Linnameeskond | 285 |
| Tallinna FC Levadia | 234 |
| Tallinna FC Infonet | 222 |
| Paide Linnameeskond | 206 |
| Rakvere JK Tarvas | 205 |
| JK Sillamäe Kalev | 174 |
| JK Narva Trans | 144 |
| League average | 248 |
| Month | Manager of the Month | Player of the Month | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manager | Club | Player | Club | |
| March[45] | Infonet | Infonet | ||
| April[46] | Paide Linnameeskond | Nõmme Kalju | ||
| May[47] | Infonet | Levadia | ||
| June/July[48] | Sillamäe Kalev | Infonet | ||
| August[49] | Flora | Flora | ||
| September[50] | Levadia | Paide Linnameeskond | ||
| October[51] | Nõmme Kalju | Sillamäe Kalev | ||
Yevgeni Kabaev was namedMeistriliiga Player of the Year.[52]