Esiliiga
| Country | Estonia |
|---|---|
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Divisions | Esiliiga |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| Level on pyramid | 2 |
| Promotion to | Meistriliiga |
| Relegation to | Esiliiga B |
| Domestic cup(s) | Estonian Cup |
| Current champions |
Flora II Tallinn (2015) |
| Most championships | Levadia II Tallinn (6 titles) |
| Website | Estonian Football Association |
 2016 Esiliiga | |
Esiliiga is the second division of the Estonian Football Association annual football championship. Esiliiga features several amateur clubs and reserve teams of Meistriliiga clubs of which reserve teams can not get promoted according to the rules set by the Estonian Football Association. As in most countries with low temperatures in winter time, the season starts around March and ends in late November. As of 2015 it is not fully professional.
Competition
During the season a club plays each of the others in the same division four times, twice at their home stadium and twice at that of their opponents. This makes for a total of 36 games played each season. Clubs gain three points for a win, one for a draw, and none for a defeat. Promotion and relegation between divisions is a central feature of the League. At the end of the season, clubs at the top of their division win promotion to the next higher division, while those at the bottom will be relegated to the next lower one. At the top end of the competition, one Esiliiga club gains promotion to the Meistriliiga. This is providing that the Esiliiga club meets the licensing criteria of the Meistriliiga. Reserve teams of higher division clubs can only take part of competition one division lower than their first team. Two bottom end clubs of Esiliiga are relegated and two top clubs of Esiliiga B are promoted.[1] One promotion and relegation place between each division is decided according to playoffs between clubs. The play-off for Meistriliiga spot are contested between the ninth placed (second bottom) club in Meistriliiga and the second in Esiliiga, play-off for Esiliiga spot are contested between the eight placed (third bottom) club in Esiliiga and the third in Esiliiga B.[2]
Clubs
Current clubs
The following clubs are competing in Esiliiga during the 2016 season.
| Club | 2015 | Seasons in Esiliiga |
Current run since |
Titles | Last title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flora U21b,c | 1st | 11 | 2006 | 2 | 2015 |
| Maardu Linnameeskonda,b | 1st in Esiliiga B | 1 | 2016 | 0 | n/a |
| Nõmme Kalju U21a,b,c | 5th | 3 | 2014 | 0 | n/a |
| Levadia U21 Tallinna,b,c | 2nd | 12 | 2004 | 7 | 2013 |
| Tallinna Kalev | 6th | 6 | 2015 | 1 | 2011 |
| Santos Tartua,b,c | 8th | 3d | 2015 | 0 | n/a |
| Viljandi JK Tulevik | 10th in Meistriliiga | 7 | 2016 | 0 | n/a |
| FC Infonet II Tallinna,b,c | 3rd | 2 | 2015 | 0 | n/a |
| Vaprus Vändraa,b | 9th e | 4 | 2013 | 0 | n/a |
| Kohtla-Järve JK Järve | 2nd in Esiliiga B | 7 f | 2016 | 1 | 2003f |
a – never been relegated from Esiliiga
b – never played in Meistriliiga
c – ineligible for promotion to Meistriliiga
d - Previously as FC Santos before merger with Tartu Välk
e - Avoided Relegation due to withdrawal of Kiviõli FC Irbis
f - Previouly known as Lootus Kohtla-Järve
Champions
Performance by club
| Club |  |
 |
 |
Winning seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Levadia II Tallinn | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013 |
| Flora II Tallinn | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2014, 2015 |
| Dünamo Tallinn | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1994–95 N, 1996–97 N |
| Tervis Pärnu | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1992–93 |
| Kuressaare | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1999 |
| Vall Tallinn | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1997–98 |
| Järve Kohtla-Järve | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2003 |
| Warrior Valga | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2002 |
| Infonet Tallinn | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2012 |
| Kreenholm Narva | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1992 |
| Pärnu | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1993–94 |
| Maardu | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2000 |
| Tallinna Kalev | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2011 |
| Pärnu Linnameeskond | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2005 |
| Lelle | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1994–95 S |
| Norma Tallinn | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1995–96 |
| Levadia Tallinn | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1998 |
| Pärnu Levadia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2001 |
| Tammeka | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2004 |
| Tallinna Jalgpallikool | 0 | 2 | 1 | |
| Tempo Tallinn | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Tallinna Sadam | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Olümp Maardu | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Vigri Tallinn | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Lokomotiv Jõhvi | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Pena Jõhvi | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Ajax Lasnamäe | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Lokomotiiv Valga | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Tulevik Viljandi | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Dokker Tallinn | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Viljandi | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| S.C. Real Maardu | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| M.C. Tallinn | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Sillamäe Kalev | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Irbis Kiviõli | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Tarvas Rakvere | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Infonet II Tallinn | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
References
- ↑ http://www.jalgpall.ee/news.php?st=style_fp.css&news_id=3867 Estonian Football Association (in Estonian). Esiliiga expanded with B division. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- ↑ http://www.jalgpall.ee/docs/Eesti%202013.a%20meistriv%F5istluste%20Meistri-ja%20Esiliiga%20juhend.pdf Estonian Football Association (in Estonian). Estonian 2013. Meistri- and Esiliiga championship directive. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
External links
- Esiliiga news EJL (Estonian)
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