2017 A Lyga

The 2017 A Lyga was the 28th season of the A Lyga, the top-tier association football league of Lithuania. The season began on 3 March 2017 and ended on 19 November 2017.

All eight teams from the previous season remained and competed in the league, while Žalgiris Vilnius began the season as defending champions having won fourth consecutive league title last year.

Sūduva Marijampolė won the championship for the first time in their 96-year history, becoming the eighth club to win the league since its creation in 1991.

Teams A total of eight teams should have contested the league, including six sides from the previous season, one promoted from the 2016 LFF I Lyga and the winners of the 2016 A Lyga Relegation play-offs.

Utenis managed to withstand against I Lyga runners-up Palanga in the play-offs and for the 3rd consecutive season continued to play in the A Lyga.

2015 LFF I Lyga champions FK Lietava changed they name to FK Jonava after received permission from Lithuanian Football Federation.

Kauno Žalgiris were relegated at the end of 2016 season and replaced by 2016 LFF I Lyga champions Šilas. It was going to be a debut in the top tier for Kazlų Rūda team.

Before the beginning of the season, newcomers Šilas were accused of match-fixing during a 2017 Virsligas Winter Cup match with FS METTA. Soon after Lithuanian Football Federation started an investigation to determine validity of these claims. At the time all club trainings and friendly matches were revoked. On 24 February, club chairman Audrius Raškauskas announced, that players received a permission to look for the new clubs while Šilas most probably will withdraw from the league into lower divisions of Lithuanian football.

On 24 February 2017 Lithuanian Football Federation announced that Šilas withdrew from the league and will be replaced by last year participants Kauno Žalgiris, who were only non-participating team, which received a valid license for A Lyga.

Clubs and locations

The following teams were competing in the 2017 championship:

Club Location Stadium Turf Capacity 2016 position Klaipėda Central Stadium of Klaipėda Natural 4,428 4th Klaipėda Artificial Football Pitch Artificial 1,000 Jonava Central Stadium of Jonava Natural 1,008 6th Jonava Artificial Football Pitch Artificial 558 Kaunas Darius and Girėnas Stadium Natural 9,180 8th NFA Stadium Artificial 500 Kaunas Darius and Girėnas Stadium Natural 9,180 5th NFA Stadium Artificial 500 Marijampolė ARVI Football Arena Natural 6,250 3rd ARVI Football Indoor Arena Artificial 2,660 Vilnius LFF Stadium Artificial 5,067 2nd Sportima Arena Artificial 3,157 Utena Utenis Stadium Natural 3,073 7th Visaginas Visaginas Artificial Football Pitch Artificial 212 Vilnius LFF Stadium Artificial 5,067 1st Sportima Arena Artificial 3,157

Personnel and kits Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Team Head coach Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsorAtlantas Igoris Pankratjevas Andrius Bartkus Puma —Jonava Mindaugas Čepas Tadas Eliošius Adidas —Kauno Žalgiris Johnny McKinstry Ignas Dedura Hummel BC ŽalgirisStumbras Mariano Barreto Klaidas Janonis Hummel IbumetinSūduva Vladimir Cheburin Algis Jankauskas Joma SumedaTrakai Oleg Vasilenko Deividas Česnauskis Nike EcoilUtenis David Campaña Aurimas Tručinskas Guille Smitarello Adidas Baltijos polistirenasŽalgiris Aleksandr Brazevich (interim) Egidijus Vaitkūnas Nike TOP Sport

Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Incoming manager Date of appointmentKauno Žalgiris Laimis Bičkauskas Resigned 26 October 2016Pre-season Vitalijus Stankevičius 3 January 2017Jonava Robertas Poškus Sacked 14 December 2016 Donatas Vencevičius 14 December 2016Trakai Serhiy Kovalets End of contract 16 December 2016 Oleg Vasilenko 19 January 2017Utenis Oleh Boychyshyn End of caretaker spell 9 January 2017 Zvezdan Milošević 9 January 2017 Zvezdan Milošević Sacked 26 April 20175th Oleh Boychyshyn (caretaker) 26 April 2017Kauno Žalgiris Vitalijus Stankevičius Mutual consent 2 May 20178th Laimis Bičkauskas (caretaker) 2 May 2017Utenis Oleh Boychyshyn End of caretaker spell 15 May 20175th David Campaña 15 May 2017Atlantas Konstantin Sarsania Signed by Zenit Saint Petersburg 27 May 20174th Sergej Savchenkov (caretaker) Rimantas Žvingilas (caretaker) 28 May 2017 Rimantas Žvingilas Sergej Savchenkov End of caretaker spell 21 July 20174th Igoris Pankratjevas 23 July 2017Kauno Žalgiris Laimis Bičkauskas End of caretaker spell 21 July 20178th Johnny McKinstry 21 July 2017Jonava Donatas Vencevičius Sacked 1 August 20176th Mindaugas Čepas 2 August 2017Žalgiris Valdas Dambrauskas Resigned 23 October 20172nd Aleksandr Brazevich (interim) 24 October 2017

Regular season

Standings

Results

First half of season

Second half of season

Championship round Standings

Results

Relegation play-offs The 7th placed team faced the runners-up of the 2017 LFF I Lyga for a two-legged play-off. The winner on aggregate score after both matches earned entry into the 2018 A Lyga.

First leg

Second leg

Stumbras won 5–1 on aggregate.

Positions by round The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. In order to preserve chronological progress, any postponed matches are not included in the round at which they were originally scheduled, but added to the full round they were played immediately afterwards. For example, if a match is scheduled for matchday 13, but then postponed and played between days 16 and 17, it will be added to the standings for day 16.

Leader – Qualification to Champions League first qualifying round Qualification to Europa League first qualifying round Qualification to Europa League preliminary qualifying round Qualification to relegation play-offs Relegation to 2018 I Lyga

Team \ Round1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 Sūduva 413422332222222333333333322111111Žalgiris 141111111111111111111111111222222Trakai 224654444443333222222222233333333Jonava 366346667676566666666777766664444Atlantas 752233223334444444444445444445555Utenis 535565555555655555555554555556666Stumbras 8887777767677777777776666777 Kauno Žalgiris 5778888888888888888888888888 Updated to games played on 15 November 2017

Season statistics

Top scorers Rank Pos. Player Club Goals Minutes played Average minutes per goal1FW Darvydas ŠernasŽalgiris1822461252FW Karolis LaukžemisSūduva1421391533FW EliveltoŽalgiris1224372044FW Andrei PanyukovAtlantas1111131025FW Maksim MaksimovTrakai101350135DF Semir KerlaSūduva14021417FW Maksym MarusychJonava82451307MF Oscar DorleyTrakai25163159FW Diniyar BilyaletdinovTrakai7805115FW Bahrudin AtajićŽalgiris1088156FW Tadas LabukasTrakai / Atlantas1947279 Updated to games played on 19 November 2017

Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Ref Andrei Panyukov Atlantas Stumbras 4–1 (H) 15 March 2017 Darvydas Šernas Žalgiris Stumbras 3–1 (A) 12 April 2017 Darvydas Šernas Žalgiris Sūduva 3–1 (H) 19 April 2017 Maksim Maksimov Trakai Utenis 3–0 (H) 21 June 2017 Josip Tadić Sūduva Kauno Žalgiris 5–1 (A) 14 October 2017

Attendance

— Official attendance statistic from one of the Kauno Žalgiris matches was not publicly released.

Awards Yearly awards Awards were presented at the LFF Awards ceremony, which was held on December 4. Finalists for voted awards were announced after the season and winners were presented at the award ceremony.

+ 2017 A Lyga awards Award Recipient(s) Player of the Year Karolis Laukžemis (Sūduva) Young Player of the Year Oscar Dorley (Trakai) Manager of the Year Vladimir Cheburin (Sūduva) Golden Boot Darvydas Šernas (Žalgiris)

Quarterly awards

Player of the Round Period Player RfFirst Round (1–7) Andrei Panyukov (Atlantas)Second Round (8–14) Oscar Dorley (Trakai)Third Round (15–21) Darvydas Šernas (Žalgiris)Fourth Round (22–28)Wasn't announced

Coach of the Round Period Coach RfFirst Round (1–7) Valdas Dambrauskas (Žalgiris)Second Round (8–14) Oleg Vasilenko (Trakai)Third Round (15–21) Oleg Vasilenko (Trakai)Fourth Round (22–28)Wasn't announced

"Golden Heart" initiative From 2016 season A lyga together with Lithuanian Football Federation decided to expand project "Bring you hearts to the stadium" and honor players who played 10 or more times for the Lithuania national team with golden heart on their shirts.

In 2017 season following players have had this evaluation: Žalgiris — Egidijus Vaitkūnas, Saulius Mikoliūnas, Vytautas Lukša, Mantas Kuklys, Darvydas Šernas, Georgas Freidgeimas, Linas Klimavičius Trakai — Deividas Česnauskis, Valdemaras Borovskis, Arūnas Klimavičius Atlantas — Linas Pilibaitis, Tadas Labukas Sūduva — Vaidas Slavickas Utenis — Pavelas Leusas Kauno Žalgiris — Ignas Dedura

Furthermore, Karolis Chvedukas was eligible to receive his "Heart" during the season, as he met qualification criterios.

Notes

2017 A Lyga

Bron en licentie