The 2021 Meistriliiga, also known as A. Le Coq Premium Liiga for sponsorship reasons, was the 31st season of the Meistriliiga, the top Estonian league for association football clubs. The season was scheduled to begin on 5 March 2021, but was delayed due to COVID-19 pandemic until 13 March and concluded on 5 December.
Flora were the defending champions. The title was decided in the last round match between Flora and FCI Levadia. FCI Levadia drew the game, holding on to their one-point lead over Flora and winning their 10th Meistriliiga title, their first since 2014.
Teams Ten teams were competing in the league, nine clubs from the 2020 season and 2020 Esiliiga champions Vaprus who had earned a promotion after a two-year absence. Vaprus were to be relegated at the end of the 2021 season after finishing in the bottom of the table, however 8th Tulevik chose voluntary relegation to due financial difficulties. Tammeka retained their Meistriliiga spot after winning a relegation playoff against Esiliiga runners-up Tallinna Kalev.
Venues
TeamLocationStadiumCapacityFloraTallinnA. Le Coq ArenaKuressaareKuressaareKuressaare linnastaadionLegionTallinnKadrioru staadionFCI LevadiaTallinnA. Le Coq ArenaNarva TransNarvaNarva Kreenholm StadiumNõmme KaljuTallinnKadrioru staadion Sportland Arena Paide LinnameeskondPaidePaide linnastaadionTammekaTartuTartu Tamme StadiumTulevikViljandiViljandi linnastaadionVaprusPärnuPärnu Rannastaadion
Personnel and kits TeamManagerCaptainKit manufacturerShirt sponsorFlora Jürgen Henn Konstantin VassiljevNikeOptibetKuressaare Roman Kozhukhovskyi Sander SeemanNikeLegion Denis Belov Pavel LondakUhlsportFCI Levadia Marko Savić Vladimir Vassiljev Brent LepistuAdidasViimsi KeevitusNarva Trans Igor Pyvin IriéNikeSportlandNõmme Kalju Sergei Frantsev Aleksandr KulinitšAdidasRämmarPaide Linnameeskond Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko Andre FrolovNikeVerstonTammeka Dmitrijs Kalašņikovs Karl Johan PechterNikeMetecTulevik Sander Post Kaimar SaagJomaFenixVaprus Taavi Midenbritt Magnus VillotaNikeCoolbet
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentTulevik Sander PostResigned6 December 2020Pre-season Jaanus Reitel6 December 2020Nõmme Kalju Marko Kristal7 December 2020 Sergei Frantsev7 December 2020Narva Trans Oleg KurotškinEnd of contract6 December 2020 Igor Pyvin3 January 2021Tammeka Kaido KoppelSacked1 September 202110th Dmitrijs Kalašņikovs1 September 2021Tulevik Jaanus ReitelMutual consent 20 September 20218th Sander Post20 September 2021
Format changes Due to delayed season opening and many postponed matches, the season was shortened. Instead of the regular format of each team playing each of the other teams four times, the league table will be split after the third playthrough (27th match) into two sections of top 6 and bottom 4, with each team playing each other in that section.
League table
Results A total of four rounds will be played. In the first three rounds teams play each other three times. In the fourth round the league was split into 2 groups – top 6, and bottom 4, where they play each team in their group one more time.
Rounds 1–18 Teams play each other twice, once at home and once away.
Rounds 19–27 Teams play each other once, either home or away.
Top six rounds 28–32 Teams play each other once, either home or away.
Bottom four rounds 28–30 Teams play each other once, either home or away.
Relegation play-offs At season's end Tammeka, the ninth place club, participated in a two-legged play-off with the runners-up (of independent teams) of the 2021 Esiliiga, for the spot in 2022 Meistriliiga.
Tammeka won 3–0 on aggregate.
Statistics Top goalscorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Henri Anier Paide Linnameeskond 262 Zakaria Beglarishvili FCI Levadia 243 Rauno Sappinen Flora 234 Robert Kirss FCI Levadia 175 Sergei Zenjov Flora 146 Kaimar Saag Tulevik 127 Tristan Koskor Tammeka 11 Mattias Männilaan Kuressaare Aleksandr Šapovalov Legion10 Aleksandr Zakarlyuka Narva Trans 10
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Zakaria Beglarishvili FCI Levadia Tulevik 4–0 (A) 4 April 2021 Eduard Golovljov Narva Trans Tulevik 6–2 (H) 11 April 2021 Aleksandr Zakarlyuka Henri Anier Paide Linnameeskond Vaprus 3–1 (A) 25 April 2021 Aleksandr Šapovalov Legion Vaprus 7–1 (A) 11 May 2021 Henri Anier Paide Linnameeskond Tammeka 5–2 (A) 19 September 2021 Rauno Sappinen4 Flora Narva Trans 5–2 (H) 22 September 2021 Sergei Zenjov Flora Tammeka 9–0 (H) 27 October 2021 Henri Anier Paide Linnameeskond Legion 4–0 (H) 30 October 2021 Otto-Robert Lipp Kuressaare Vaprus 4–0 (A) 6 November 2021 Notes4Player scored four goals(H) – Home team(A) – Away team
Average attendance Most of the season was played under audience restrictions due to the pandemic. Different teams played a different number of games in front of spectators. + Club Average attendance Pärnu JK Vaprus 495 Tallinna FC Flora 472 FCI Levadia 305 Viljandi JK Tulevik 296 Paide Linnameeskond 233 Tartu JK Tammeka 226 Nõmme Kalju FC 192 FC Kuressaare 139 JK Narva Trans 122 Tallinna JK Legion 91+ League average 273
Awards Monthly awards MonthPlayer of the MonthManager of the MonthPlayerClubManagerClubMarch/April Henri AnierPaide Linnameeskond Vjatšeslav ZahovaikoPaide LinnameeskondMay Zakaria BeglarishviliFCI Levadia Jürgen HennFloraJune/July Robert Kirss Marko Savić Vladimir VassiljevFCI LevadiaAugust Joseph SalistePaide LinnameeskondSeptember Rauno AllikuFlora Roman KozhukhovskyiKuressaareOctober Ken Kallaste Vjatšeslav ZahovaikoPaide LinnameeskondNovember Zakaria BeglarishviliFCI Levadia Jürgen HennFlora
Annual awards The Meistriliiga Player of the Year was awarded to Rauno Sappinen.
References
External links Official website