The 2017 Meistriliiga (known as A. Le Coq Premium Liiga for sponsorship reasons) 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. 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.
Teams 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.
Defending champions Infonet underwent a name change due to the UEFA restrictions regarding sponsorship names and became FCI Tallinn.
Venues
TeamLocationStadiumCapacityFCI Tallinn TallinnInfonet Lasnamäe Stadium FloraTallinnA. Le Coq ArenaLevadiaTallinnKadriorg StadiumNarva TransNarvaNarva Kreenholm StadiumNõmme KaljuTallinnHiiu StadiumPaide LinnameeskondPaidePaide linnastaadionSillamäe KalevSillamäeSillamäe Kalev StadiumTammekaTartuTartu Tamme StadiumTulevikViljandiViljandi linnastaadionVaprusPärnuPärnu Rannastaadion
Personnel and kits TeamManagerCaptainKit manufacturerShirt sponsorFCI Tallinn Aleksandar Rogić Andrei KalimullinJomaInfonetFlora Arno Pijpers Brent LepistuNikeTele2 Levadia Igor Prins Rimo HuntAdidasViimsi KeevitusNarva Trans Adyam Kuzyaev IriéNikeSportlandNõmme Kalju Sergei Frantsev Vitali TelešAdidashelp.eePaide Linnameeskond Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko Andre FrolovNikeEnematSillamäe Kalev Irfan Ametov Mihhail StarodubtsevUhlsportAlexelaTammeka Mario Hansi Kaido Koppel Kaarel KiidronNikeMetecTulevik Aivar Lillevere Indrek IlvesJomaViljandi Aken ja UksVaprus Marko Lelov Karl PalatuNikeCoolbet
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Incoming manager Date of appointmentPaide Linnameeskond Meelis RoobaMutual consent 5 November 2016Pre-season Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko 7 November 2016Flora Argo Arbeiter Sacked 10 November 2016 Arno Pijpers 2 January 2017Tammeka Indrek Koser Mutual consent 29 November 2016 Mario Hansi Kaido Koppel 29 November 2016Sillamäe Kalev Algimantas BriaunysResigned 11 April 2017 8th Vadym Dobizha (caretaker) 11 April 2017FCI Tallinn Aleksandr Puštov Mutual consent 30 June 2017 4th Sergei Bragin (caretaker) 30 June 2017FCI Tallinn Sergei BraginEnd of caretaker spell29 July 2017 4th Aleksandar Rogić29 July 2017Sillamäe Kalev Vadym DobizhaResigned due to ill health12 September 20177th Irfan Ametov (caretaker)12 September 2017
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 RankPlayerClubGoals1 Albert ProsaFCI Tallinn27 Rauno SappinenFlora3 Rimo HuntLevadia204 Aleksandr VolkovSillamäe Kalev185 Zakaria BeglarishviliFlora16 Yevgeni KharinFCI Tallinn LiliuNõmme Kalju João MorelliLevadia9 Yevgeni KobzarLevadia1210 Nikita AndreevLevadia11 Artjom DmitrijevNõmme Kalju
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Dzmitry KowbNarva TransPaide Linnameeskond5–1 (A)4 March 2017 Rimo HuntLevadiaPaide Linnameeskond7–0 (H)18 March 2017 Yevgeni KharinFCI TallinnVaprus6–0 (A)15 April 2017 Yevgeni KobzarLevadiaVaprus8–0 (H)28 April 2017 Albert Prosa6FCI TallinnVaprus11–1 (H)22 May 2017 Rauno SappinenFloraVaprus10–0 (A)16 June 2017 João MorelliLevadiaPaide Linnameeskond8–0 (H)5 August 2017 Aleksandr VolkovSillamäe KalevVaprus9–0 (H)12 August 2017 Karl MöölNõmme KaljuVaprus6–1 (A)15 August 2017 LiliuNõmme KaljuVaprus6–0 (H)23 September 2017 Aleksandr VolkovSillamäe KalevVaprus7–2 (A)30 September 2017 Rauno Sappinen4FloraNarva Trans7–0 (A)20 October 2017 4 Player scored 4 goals; 6 Player scored 6 goals; (H) – Home; (A) – Away
Average attendance + Club Average attendance 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 MonthManager of the MonthPlayer of the MonthGoal of the MonthManagerClubPlayerClubPlayerClubMarch Igor PrinsLevadia Igor DudarevLevadia Viktor PlotnikovNarva TransApril Arno PijpersFlora Rimo Hunt Magnar VainumäePaide LinnameeskondMay Artur KotenkoNarva Trans Brent LepistuFloraJune Mario Hansi Kaido KoppelTammeka Rauno SappinenFlora Mark Oliver RoosnuppLevadiaJuly Sergei FrantsevNõmme Kalju Aleksandr VolkovSillamäe Kalev Robert KirssNõmme KaljuAugust Aleksandar RogićFCI Tallinn Yevgeni KobzarLevadia Oleksandr SukharovSillamäe KalevSeptember Igor PrinsLevadia Josip Krznarić GeovaneNõmme KaljuOctober Arno PijpersFlora Brent LepistuFlora João MorelliLevadia
Player of the Round RoundPlayer of the RoundPlayerClub1 Rimo HuntLevadia2 Zakaria BeglarishviliFlora3 João MorelliLevadia4 Rauno SappinenFlora
Annual awards Award Winner Club Player of the Year Rauno Sappinen Flora Goal of the Year Viktor PlotnikovNarva Trans
See also 2016–17 Estonian Cup 2017–18 Estonian Cup 2017 Esiliiga 2017 Esiliiga B
References
External links Official website