The 2014 Meistriliiga, also known as A. Le Coq Premium Liiga due to sponsorship reasons, was the 24th season of the Meistriliiga, the first level in the Estonian football system. The season ran from 1 March 2014 to 8 November 2014. Levadia successfully defended the title, securing the championship in the last round.
Teams Kuressaare were relegated to the 2014 Esiliiga after finishing in the bottom of the table at the end of the 2013 season, ending their five-year tenure in the top flight. They were replaced by Lokomotiv, Esiliiga runners-up and first among promotion-eligible teams. Lokomotiv will make their first appearance in the top division.
One spot in the league was decided in a two-legged play-off between Esiliiga's 4th Tarvas and Meistriliiga's 9th-placed team Tammeka. Tammeka won 6–2 on aggregate and therefore retained its place in Meistriliiga.
Tammeka hit financial trouble in the second half of 2013 season, but refused the reorganization plan set by Estonian Football Association. In February Tammeka were stripped of their Meistriliiga license. Tammeka entry was later granted for 2014 season to Football School Tammeka, financially independent part of the club run by former employees of football club Tammeka.
Stadiums and locations
Team Location Stadium Seating capacity FloraTallinn A. Le Coq Arena 9,692 Infonet Sportland Arena 540 LevadiaKadriorg Stadium 5,000 Lokomotiv Jõhvi Jõhvi linnastaadion 60 Narva Trans Narva Kreenholm Stadium 1,065 Nõmme KaljuTallinnKadriorg Stadium 5,000 Paide Linnameeskond Paide Paide linnastaadion 268 Sillamäe Kalev Sillamäe Sillamäe Kalev Stadium 800 Tallinna Kalev Tallinn Kalev Keskstaadion 11,500 Tammeka Tartu Tartu Tamme Stadium 1,750
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 Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsorFlora Norbert Hurt Sander Post Nike Tele2 Infonet Aleksandr Puštov Vladimir Avilov Joma InfonetLevadia Marko Kristal Roman Smishko Adidas Viimsi KeevitusLokomotiv Aleksei Tikhomirov Valeri Smelkov Adidas Spacecom Narva Trans Aleksei Yagudin Roman Nesterovski Nike FamaNõmme Kalju Igor Prins Vitali TelešAdidasOptibet Paide Linnameeskond Meelis Rooba Liivo Leetma Nike VerstonSillamäe Kalev Sergei Frantsev Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko Uhlsport AlexelaTallinna Kalev Sergei Zamogilnõi Daniil Savitski Jako Viking LineTammeka Indrek Koser Jürgen Lorenz Nike Goldtime
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Replaced by Date of appointmentTallinna Kalev Frank Bernhardt Mutual agreement 13 December 2013 Pre-season Tarmo Rüütli 13 December 2013Tammeka Uwe Erkenbrecher End of contract 31 December 2013 Indrek Koser 14 February 2014Tallinna Kalev Tarmo RüütliSigned by Irtysh Pavlodar6 March 20149th Sergei Zamogilnõi 10 March 2014Lokomotiv Viktors ŅesterenkoSacked22 April 201410th Aleksei Tikhomirov23 April 2014Sillamäe Kalev Sergei RatnikovMutual agreement26 April 20141st Vadym Dobizha (caretaker)26 April 2014 Lokomotiv Aleksei TikhomirovMutual agreement3 June 201410th Andrei Škaleta6 June 2014Narva Trans Valeri BondarenkoSacked14 June 20147th Aleksei Yagudin14 June 2014Sillamäe Kalev Vadym DobizhaCaretaker spell over13 July 20144th Sergei Frantsev13 July 2014Lokomotiv Andrei ŠkaletaMutual agreement6 August 201410th Aleksei Tikhomirov6 August 2014
Player transfers Transfers made during the 2013–14 winter transfer window (3 January – 28 February 2014)
Transfers made during the 2014 summer transfer window (20 June – 20 July 2014)
League table
Relegation play-offs At season's end Lokomotiv, the ninth place club in the Meistriliiga, participated in a two-legged play-off with Tulevik, the runners-up (of the independent teams) of the 2014 Esiliiga, for the spot in next year's competition.
1–1 on aggregate. Tulevik won on away goals and secured promotion to 2015 Meistriliiga
Results Each team plays every opponent four times, twice at home and twice away, for a total of 36 games.
First-half of season
Second-half of season
Season statistics Top scorers
Rank Player Club Goals1 Yevgeni KabaevSillamäe Kalev362 Igor SubbotinLevadia323 ManuchoInfonet304 Albert ProsaFlora225 Hidetoshi WakuiNõmme Kalju216 Vladislav IvanovLevadia197 Stanislav MurikhinSillamäe Kalev168 Rauno AllikuFlora15 Ingemar TeeverLevadia10 Tarmo NeemeloNõmme Kalju14
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Kristjan TiirikTammeka Tallinna Kalev 6–1 (A) 29 March 2014 Rauno Alliku Flora Tallinna Kalev 4–1 (A) 19 April 2014 Manucho Infonet Tallinna Kalev 6–0 (H) 25 April 2014 Vladislav Ivanov Levadia Infonet 4–0 (A) 12 May 2014 Stanislav Murikhin Sillamäe Kalev Tammeka 6–0 (A) 20 May 2014 Rasmus Tomson Paide Linnameeskond Tallinna Kalev 6–2 (H) 20 May 2014 Vladislav Ivanov4 Levadia Tammeka 7–0 (A) 10 June 2014 Vladislav Ivanov Levadia Tallinna Kalev 9–0 (H) 15 June 2014 Igor Subbotin Yevgeni Kabaev Sillamäe Kalev Tallinna Kalev 6–1 (H) 7 July 2014 Manucho4 Infonet Tallinna Kalev 5–0 (H) 13 July 2014 Hidetoshi Wakui Nõmme Kalju Tammeka 3–0 (H) 14 July 2014 Jarmo Ahjupera Nõmme Kalju Tallinna Kalev 5–0 (H) 28 July 2014 Robert Kirss Nõmme Kalju Lokomotiv 5–1 (H) 22 August 2014 Albert Prosa Flora Paide Linnameeskond 3–0 (H) 23 August 2014 Stanislav Murikhin Sillamäe Kalev Tallinna Kalev 8–0 (H) 30 August 2014 Yevgeni Kabaev4 Yevgeni Kabaev Sillamäe Kalev Tallinna Kalev 8–1 (A) 13 September 2014 Felipe Nunes4 Nõmme Kalju Lokomotiv 9–0 (H) 16 September 2014 Tarmo Neemelo Igor Subbotin4 Levadia Tallinna Kalev 5–0 (H) 19 September 2014 Tarmo Neemelo Nõmme Kalju Tallinna Kalev 7–0 (A) 25 October 2014 Igor Subbotin4 Levadia Lokomotiv 9–0 (H) 2 November 2014 Igor Subbotin4 Levadia Narva Trans 8–1 (A) 8 November 2014 Manucho Infonet Tallinna Kalev 4–0 (A) 8 November 2014
Notes 4 Player scored 4 goals(H) – Home team(A) – Away team
Average attendance
+ Club Average attendance Tallinna FC Flora 747 Nõmme JK Kalju 411 Tartu JK Tammeka 320 Tallinna FC Levadia 253 JK Sillamäe Kalev 209 JK Narva Trans 146 Tallinna FC Infonet 141 Paide Linnameeskond 122 Jõhvi FC Lokomotiv 117 JK Tallinna Kalev 98+ League average 256
Awards MonthManager of the MonthPlayer of the MonthManagerClubPlayerClubMarch Sergei RatnikovSillamäe Kalev Albert ProsaFloraApril Igor PrinsNõmme Kalju Mikk ReintamNõmme KaljuMay Norbert HurtFlora Daniil RatnikovSillamäe KalevJune Marko KristalLevadia Lasha OmanidzeTallinna KalevJuly Aleksandr PuštovInfonet Karl-Eerik LuigendFloraAugust Sergei FrantsevSillamäe Kalev Yevgeni KabaevSillamäe KalevSeptember Igor PrinsNõmme Kalju Roman SmishkoLevadiaOctober Sergei FrantsevSillamäe Kalev ManuchoInfonet
Meistriliiga Player of the Year Yevgeni Kabaev was named Meistriliiga Player of the Year.
See also 2013–14 Estonian Cup 2014–15 Estonian Cup 2014 Esiliiga 2014 Esiliiga B
References