Meistriliiga
Season2012
ChampionsNõmme Kalju
Champions LeagueNõmme Kalju
Europa LeagueLevadia
Flora
Narva Trans
Matches played180
Goals scored536 (2.98 per match)
Top goalscorerVladislav Ivanov (23 goals)
Biggest home winLevadia 7–0 Kuressaare
(30 July)
Nõmme Kalju 7–0 Tallinna Kalev
(4 September)
Biggest away winKuressaare 0–9 Nõmme Kalju
(28 August)
Highest scoringViljandi 1–9 Nõmme Kalju
(2 October)
← 2011
2013 →

The 2012 season of the Meistriliiga the first level in the Estonian football system is the 22nd season in the league's history. The competition started on 10 March 2012 and will end on 3 November 2012.[1] The defending champions are Flora, who won their ninth league championship last year.

Teams

Ajax finished the 2011 season in 10th place and were directly relegated to the Esiliiga, ending a one-year stay in the Estonian top flight. They were replaced by Tallinna Kalev, who return to the league after a two-year absence.

In addition, the 9th-placed Meistriliiga club, Kuressaare, faced the runners-up of the Esiliiga, Infonet, in a two-legged play-off for a spot in this season's competition. Kuressaare won the play-off, 5–1 on aggregate, retaining their spot in the league.

Stadiums and locations

2012 Meistriliiga is located in Estonia
Kuressaare
Trans
Paide
Sillamäe
Flora Levadia Kalju Tallinna Kalev
Tammeka
Viljandi
Locations of the 2012 Meistriliiga teams
Club Location Stadium Capacity
Flora Tallinn A. Le Coq Arena 9,692
Nõmme Kalju Tallinn Kadriorg Stadium 5,000
Kuressaare Kuressaare Kuressaare linnastaadion 2,000
Levadia Tallinn Maarjamäe Stadium 1,000
Paide Linnameeskond Paide Paide linnastaadion 368
Sillamäe Kalev Sillamäe Sillamäe Kalev Stadium 2,000
Tallinna Kalev Tallinn Kalev Keskstaadion 12,000
Tammeka Tartu Tartu Tamme Stadium 1,600
Narva Trans Narva Narva Kreenholm Stadium 3,000
Viljandi Viljandi Viljandi linnastaadion 1,006

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 sponsor
Flora Estonia Marko Lelov Estonia Andre Frolov Nike KH Energia Konsult
Nõmme Kalju Estonia Igor Prins Estonia Alo Bärengrub Adidas Maxima
Kuressaare Estonia Sergei Zamogilnõi Estonia Sander Viira Joma —
Levadia Estonia Marko Kristal Estonia Igor Morozov Adidas Viimsi Keevitus
Paide Linnameeskond Estonia Meelis Rooba Estonia Carl Tubarik Nike Verston
Sillamäe Kalev Lithuania Algimantas Briaunys Estonia Mihhail Starodubtsev Uhlsport Alexela
Tallinna Kalev Estonia Sergei Ratnikov Estonia Aleksei Savitski Jako —
Tammeka Greece Joti Stamatopoulos Estonia Kaspar Kaldoja Nike Mäe-kodu
Narva Trans Russia Aleksei Yagudin Estonia Stanislav Kitto Nike Sportland
Viljandi Estonia Zaur Tšilingarašvili Estonia Ott Ottis Joma Express Hotline

Managerial changes

Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Replaced by Date of appointment
Levadia Estonia Sergei Hohlov-Simson End of contract 30 November 2011 Pre-season Estonia Marko Kristal 1 December 2011[2]
Narva Trans Russia Aleksei Yagudin End of contract 9 January 2012 Pre-season Russia Sergei Prikhodko 10 January 2012[3]
Narva Trans Russia Sergei Prikhodko Sacked June ? Russia Aleksei Yagudin June
Tammeka Estonia Kristjan Tiirik Sacked 18 July 2012 10th Greece Joti Stamatopoulos 19 July 2012[4]
Sillamäe Kalev Estonia Valeri Bondarenko Sacked 7 September 2012 4th Lithuania Algimantas Briaunys 8 September 2012[5]
Flora Estonia Martin Reim Mutual agreement 14 October 2012 2nd Estonia Marko Lelov 15 October 2012[6]

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Nõmme Kalju (C) 36 29 5 2 106 17 +89 92 Qualification for Champions League second qualifying round
2 Levadia 36 25 8 3 85 22 +63 83 Qualification for Europa League first qualifying round[a]
3 Flora 36 26 3 7 87 24 +63 81
4 Narva Trans 36 16 7 13 52 44 +8 55
5 Sillamäe Kalev 36 15 10 11 51 43 +8 55
6 Paide 36 11 9 16 34 52 −18 42
7 Viljandi 36 6 8 22 33 88 −55 26 Dissolved at the end of the season
8 Kuressaare 36 5 11 20 31 80 −49 26
9 Tallinna Kalev (O) 36 4 9 23 27 87 −60 21 Qualification for relegation play-offs
10 Tammeka 36 4 8 24 30 79 −49 20 Relegation to Esiliiga[b]
Source: Estonian Football Association (in Estonian)
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd least withdrawals or annulled matches; 3rd overall wins; 4th head-to-head points; 5th head-to-head goal difference; 6th goal difference; 7th goals scored.
If two or more teams on the top have the same number of points by the end of the season, the aforementioned rules will not apply and additional game(s) will be played to determine the champions[7]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners
Notes:
  1. ^ Narva Trans qualified for the UEFA Europa League since 3rd-placed Flora qualified for the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League as Cup winner and Cup finalist Kalju had qualified for the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League.
  2. ^ Tammeka escaped relegation due to dissolving of seventh placed Viljandi at the end of season

Relegation play-off

At season's end, the ninth place club in the Meistriliiga will participate in a two-legged playoff with the runners-up of the 2012 Esiliiga for one spot in next year's competition.

Tarvas1–2Tallinna Kalev
Hang 23' Report Tomson 70'
Kase 74'
Rakvere artificial turf, Rakvere
Attendance: 324
Referee: Jaan Roos
Tallinna Kalev1–0Tarvas
Ratnikov 38' Report
Kalev Keskstaadion, Tallinn
Attendance: 377
Referee: Hannes Kaasik

Tallinna Kalev retains their place in the league, winning 3–1 on aggregate.

Results

Each team plays every opponent four times, twice at home and twice on the road, for a total of 36 games.

Season statistics

Top scorers

Rank Player Club Goals[8]
1 Russia Vladislav Ivanov Sillamäe Kalev/Narva Trans 23
2 Estonia Tarmo Neemelo Nõmme Kalju 22
3 Georgia (country) Zakaria Beglarishvili Flora 17
4 Estonia Jüri Jevdokimov Nõmme Kalju 13
5 Estonia Igor Morozov Levadia 12
6 Estonia Rimo Hunt Levadia 11
7 Russia Aleksandr Alekseev Narva Trans 10
Estonia Andre Frolov Flora
Estonia Artur Rättel Levadia
Japan Hidetoshi Wakui Nõmme Kalju

Hat-tricks

Player For Against Result Date
Estonia Vitali Leitan Levadia Kuressaare 5–0 10 April 2012
Estonia Artur Rättel Levadia Paide Linnameeskond 1–5 28 April 2012
Georgia (country) Zakaria Beglarishvili Flora Paide Linnameeskond 0–5 12 May 2012
Georgia (country) Zakaria Beglarishvili Flora Tallinna Kalev 5–0 19 May 2012
Estonia Artur Rättel Levadia Tallinna Kalev 0–6 23 July 2012
Estonia Albert Taar Levadia Kuressaare 7–0 30 July 2012
Estonia Igor Morozov Levadia Flora 5–4 20 August 2012
Estonia Tarmo Neemelo Nõmme Kalju Kuressaare 0–9 28 August 2012
Estonia Rauno Alliku Flora Viljandi 5–0 18 September 2012
Russia Vladislav Ivanov Narva Trans Kuressaare 0–3 22 September 2012
Estonia Tarmo Neemelo 5 Nõmme Kalju Viljandi 1–9 2 October 2012
Guinea Ousmane Barry Tammeka Tallinna Kalev 1–4 20 October 2012
Italy Damiano Quintieri Nõmme Kalju Tammeka 5–1 3 November 2012
Estonia Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko Sillamäe Kalev Viljandi 0–5 3 November 2012

Awards

Month Manager of the Month Player of the Month
Manager Club Player Club
March[9] Estonia Sergei Zamogilnõi Kuressaare Estonia Igor Morozov Levadia
April[10] Estonia Igor Prins Nõmme Kalju Estonia Janar Toomet Levadia
May[11] Estonia Martin Reim Flora Georgia (country) Zakaria Beglarishvili Flora
June[12] Estonia Meelis Rooba Paide Linnameeskond Japan Hidetoshi Wakui Nõmme Kalju
July[10] Estonia Igor Prins Nõmme Kalju Estonia Joel Indermitte Viljandi
August[13] Russia Aleksei Yagudin Narva Trans Estonia Sergei Terehhov Nõmme Kalju
September[14] Estonia Igor Prins Nõmme Kalju Estonia Carl Tubarik Paide Linnameeskond
October[15] Estonia Marko Kristal Levadia Georgia (country) Zakaria Beglarishvili Flora

See also

References

  1. ^ "Mängude kalender (2012)". Estonian Football Association. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
  2. ^ "FC Levadia esindusmeeskonna uued juhendajad on Marko Kristal ja Indrek Zelinski" (in Estonian). FC Levadia. November 2011. Archived from the original on 1 January 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  3. ^ "Narva Transi uus peatreener tuleb Venemaalt". Põhjarannik (in Estonian). 7 January 2012. Archived from the original on 9 January 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  4. ^ "Tammeka uus peatreener on Joti Stamatopoulos" (in Estonian). JK Tammeka. 19 July 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  5. ^ "Briaunysest sai ametlikult Sillamäe peatreener" (in Estonian). Soccernet.ee. 13 September 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  6. ^ "FC Flora esindusmeeskonda juhendavad hooaja lõpuni Lelov ja Hurt" (in Estonian). FC Flora. 14 October 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  7. ^ "Eesti 2011.a meistrivõistluste Meistri- ja Esiliiga juhend" (PDF). jalgpall.ee (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association. 15 June 2011. p. 9. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  8. ^ "VÄRAVALÖÖJATE EDETABEL (2012)" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association.
  9. ^ "Meistriliiga esimesel parimate valimisel edukad Zamogilnõi ja Morozov" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association. 5 April 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  10. ^ a b "Meistriliiga kuu parimad Prins ja Indermitte" (in Estonian). Soccernet.ee. 3 August 2012. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  11. ^ "Mai parimad olid Reim ja Beglarišvili" (in Estonian). FC Flora Tallinn. 1 May 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  12. ^ "Meistriliiga 19. vooru kolme mängu tulemused" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association. 14 July 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
  13. ^ "Jalgpalli Meistriliiga augusti parimad olid Jagudin ja Terehhov" (in Estonian). ERR Sport. 3 September 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  14. ^ "Meistriliiga XXXII vooru tulemused" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association. 2 October 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
  15. ^ "Meistriliiga oktoobri parimad on Kristal ja Beglarishvili" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association. 29 October 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
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