2017 Meistriliiga
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| Season | 2017 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 3 March 2017 – 4 November 2017 |
| Champions | Flora 11th title |
| Relegated | Sillamäe Kalev |
| Champions League | Flora |
| Europa League | Levadia Nõmme Kalju Narva Trans |
| Matches played | 180 |
| Goals scored | 658 (3.66 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Albert Prosa Rauno Sappinen (27 goals) |
| Best goalkeeper | Sergei Lepmets (21 clean sheets) |
| Biggest home win | FCI Tallinn 11–1 Vaprus (22 May 2017) |
| Biggest away win | Vaprus 0–10 Flora (16 June 2017) |
| Highest scoring | FCI Tallinn 11–1 Vaprus (22 May 2017) |
| Longest winning run | 15 matches Flora |
| Longest unbeaten run | 26 matches Flora |
| Longest winless run | 21 matches Vaprus |
| Longest losing run | 17 matches Vaprus |
← 2016 2018 → | |
The 2017 Meistriliiga (known as A. Le Coq Premium Liiga for sponsorship reasons[1]) was the 27th season of the Meistriliiga, the top Estonian league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1992. The season began on 3 March 2017 and concluded on 4 November 2017.[2] FCI Tallinn began the season as defending champions of the 2016 season.
Flora won their 11th Meistriliiga title following a 2–0 home win over Tammeka on 28 October 2017.
Venues
A total of 10 teams contested the league, including 8 teams from the 2016 season. Tarvas were relegated after a winless season. Their spot was taken by Esiliiga champions Tulevik, making an immediate return after their 2015 relegation.
In the relegation play-off Pärnu Linnameeskond successfully defended their league spot by defeating challengers Maardu Linnameeskond, but on 11 January 2017 Pärnu Linnameeskond, a union of football clubs from Pärnu, broke up. Vaprus, one of the three clubs that had formed Linnameeskond, took over the league spot.[3]
Defending champions Infonet underwent a name change due to the UEFA restrictions regarding sponsorship names and became FCI Tallinn.[4]
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| FCI Tallinn | Tallinn | Infonet Lasnamäe Stadium | 500[5] |
| Flora | Tallinn | A. Le Coq Arena | 10,340[6] |
| Levadia | Tallinn | Kadriorg Stadium | 5,000[7] |
| Narva Trans | Narva | Narva Kreenholm Stadium | 1,065[8] |
| Nõmme Kalju | Tallinn | Hiiu Stadium | 650[9] |
| Paide Linnameeskond | Paide | Paide linnastaadion | 268[10] |
| Sillamäe Kalev | Sillamäe | Sillamäe Kalev Stadium | 800[11] |
| Tammeka | Tartu | Tartu Tamme Stadium | 1,500[12] |
| Tulevik | Viljandi | Viljandi linnastaadion | 1,084[13] |
| Vaprus | Pärnu | Pärnu Rannastaadion | 1,501[14] |
Personnel and kits
| Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FCI Tallinn |  Aleksandar Rogić |
 Andrei Kalimullin |
Joma | Infonet |
| Flora |  Arno Pijpers |
Brent Lepistu |
Nike | Tele2[15] |
| Levadia | Igor Prins |
Rimo Hunt |
Adidas | Viimsi Keevitus |
| Narva Trans |  Adyam Kuzyaev |
 Irié |
Nike | Sportland |
| Nõmme Kalju | Sergei Frantsev |
Vitali Teleš |
Adidas | help.ee |
| Paide Linnameeskond | Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko |
Andre Frolov |
Nike | Enemat |
| Sillamäe Kalev |  Irfan Ametov |
Mihhail Starodubtsev |
Uhlsport | Alexela |
| Tammeka | Mario Hansi Kaido Koppel |
Kaarel Kiidron |
Nike | Metec[16] |
| Tulevik | Aivar Lillevere |
Indrek Ilves |
Joma | Viljandi Aken ja Uks[17] |
| Vaprus | Marko Lelov |
Karl Palatu |
Nike | Coolbet[18] |
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paide Linnameeskond | Meelis Rooba |
Mutual consent | 5 November 2016[19] | Pre-season | Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko |
7 November 2016[19] |
| Flora | Argo Arbeiter |
Sacked | 10 November 2016[20] | Arno Pijpers |
2 January 2017[21] | |
| Tammeka | Indrek Koser |
Mutual consent | 29 November 2016[22] | Mario Hansi Kaido Koppel |
29 November 2016[22] | |
| Sillamäe Kalev |  Algimantas Briaunys |
Resigned | 11 April 2017[23] | 8th | Vadym Dobizha (caretaker) |
11 April 2017[23] |
| FCI Tallinn | Aleksandr Puštov |
Mutual consent | 30 June 2017[24] | 4th | Sergei Bragin (caretaker) |
30 June 2017[24] |
| FCI Tallinn | Sergei Bragin |
End of caretaker spell | 29 July 2017[25] | 4th | Aleksandar Rogić |
29 July 2017 |
| Sillamäe Kalev | Vadym Dobizha |
Resigned due to ill health | 12 September 2017 | 7th | Irfan Ametov (caretaker) |
12 September 2017[26] |
League table
Results
Each team plays every opponent four times, twice at home and twice away. A total of 180 matches will be played, with 36 matches played by each team.
First half of season |
Second half of season
|
Season statistics
Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals[29] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albert Prosa | FCI Tallinn | 27 |
| Rauno Sappinen | Flora | ||
| 3 | Rimo Hunt | Levadia | 20 |
| 4 | Aleksandr Volkov | Sillamäe Kalev | 18 |
| 5 |  Zakaria Beglarishvili | Flora | 16 |
| Yevgeni Kharin | FCI Tallinn | ||
 Liliu | Nõmme Kalju | ||
| João Morelli | Levadia | ||
| 9 | Yevgeni Kobzar | Levadia | 12 |
| 10 | Nikita Andreev | Levadia | 11 |
| Artjom Dmitrijev | Nõmme Kalju |
Hat-tricks
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Dzmitry Kowb | Narva Trans | Paide Linnameeskond | 5–1 (A) | 4 March 2017[30] |
| Rimo Hunt | Levadia | Paide Linnameeskond | 7–0 (H) | 18 March 2017[31] |
| Yevgeni Kharin | FCI Tallinn | Vaprus | 6–0 (A) | 15 April 2017[32] |
| Yevgeni Kobzar | Levadia | Vaprus | 8–0 (H) | 28 April 2017[33] |
| Albert Prosa6 | FCI Tallinn | Vaprus | 11–1 (H) | 22 May 2017[34] |
| Rauno Sappinen | Flora | Vaprus | 10–0 (A) | 16 June 2017[35] |
| João Morelli | Levadia | Paide Linnameeskond | 8–0 (H) | 5 August 2017[36] |
| Aleksandr Volkov | Sillamäe Kalev | Vaprus | 9–0 (H) | 12 August 2017[37] |
| Karl Mööl | Nõmme Kalju | Vaprus | 6–1 (A) | 15 August 2017[38] |
| Liliu | Nõmme Kalju | Vaprus | 6–0 (H) | 23 September 2017[39] |
| Aleksandr Volkov | Sillamäe Kalev | Vaprus | 7–2 (A) | 30 September 2017[40] |
| Rauno Sappinen4 | Flora | Narva Trans | 7–0 (A) | 20 October 2017[41] |
4 Player scored 4 goals; 6 Player scored 6 goals; (H) – Home; (A) – Away
Average attendance
| Club | Average attendance[42] |
|---|---|
| Nõmme Kalju FC | 531 |
| Tallinna FC Flora | 477 |
| Tartu JK Tammeka | 320 |
| Tallinna FC Levadia | 311 |
| Pärnu JK Vaprus | 255 |
| Viljandi JK Tulevik | 240 |
| Tallinna FC Infonet | 238 |
| Paide Linnameeskond | 164 |
| JK Narva Trans | 143 |
| JK Sillamäe Kalev | 137 |
| League average | 282 |
Awards
Monthly awards
| Month | Manager of the Month | Player of the Month | Goal of the Month | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manager | Club | Player | Club | Player | Club | |
| March[43] | Igor Prins |
Levadia | Igor Dudarev |
Levadia | Viktor Plotnikov |
Narva Trans |
| April[44] | Arno Pijpers |
Flora | Rimo Hunt |
Magnar Vainumäe |
Paide Linnameeskond | |
| May[45] | Artur Kotenko |
Narva Trans | Brent Lepistu |
Flora | ||
| June[46] | Mario Hansi Kaido Koppel |
Tammeka | Rauno Sappinen |
Flora | Mark Oliver Roosnupp |
Levadia |
| July[47] | Sergei Frantsev |
Nõmme Kalju | Aleksandr Volkov |
Sillamäe Kalev | Robert Kirss |
Nõmme Kalju |
| August[48] | Aleksandar Rogić |
FCI Tallinn | Yevgeni Kobzar |
Levadia | Oleksandr Sukharov |
Sillamäe Kalev |
| September[49] | Igor Prins |
Levadia |  Josip Krznarić |
Geovane |
Nõmme Kalju | |
| October[50] | Arno Pijpers |
Flora | Brent Lepistu |
Flora | João Morelli |
Levadia |
Player of the Round
| Round | Player of the Round | |
|---|---|---|
| Player | Club | |
| 1[51] | Rimo Hunt | Levadia |
| 2[52] | Zakaria Beglarishvili | Flora |
| 3[53] | João Morelli | Levadia |
| 4[54] | Rauno Sappinen | Flora |
Annual awards
| Award | Winner | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Player of the Year[55] | Rauno Sappinen |
Flora |
| Goal of the Year[56] | Viktor Plotnikov |
Narva Trans |