A Lyga
The A Lyga is the top division of professional football in Lithuania. It is organized by Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF) (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Futbolo Federacija).
 | |
| Founded | 1991 |
|---|---|
| Country | Lithuania |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of teams | 10 (2023) |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | I Lyga |
| Domestic cup(s) | Lithuanian Football Cup Lithuanian Supercup |
| International cup(s) | UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa Conference League |
| Current champions | FK Žalgiris (10th title) (2022) |
| Most championships | FK Žalgiris (10 titles) |
| Website | Alyga.lt |
| Current: 2023 A Lyga | |
History
The first football league was established in Lithuania in 1924, and in various forms existed until 1939. During the period of Soviet occupation, a Lithuanian amateur top division existed, while professional players played in USSR football competitions. The Lithuanian professional top division was restored in 1991. The naming convention changed several times, but since 1999 the league is consistently referred to as A lyga.
Format
The league system and size have also stabilized since 1999. League size varied mostly between 8 and 10 teams, with the exceptions of 2011 A Lyga featuring 12 teams, and 2020 A Lyga record low of only 6 teams. The teams play 4 rounds in regular season. The bottom placed team is relegated, while 9th placed team contests in a play-off with the 2nd placed team from the I lyga. The final list of participants often did not correlate to the final results of the previous season, as the participation were rather finalized through the Lithuanian Football Federation league licensing process.
The season usually kicks off in late February or early March and ends in November. Because of harsh climate, there are no games in winter. Early spring and late autumn games are played in indoor arenas on artificial grass. Winter transfer window opens in early January through to mid March. Summer transfer window lasts for the most part of July.
European competitions
Lithuania sought to participate in the UEFA club competitions immediately after regaining the independence. However, due to political reasons, in 1991 Lithuania was banned by UEFA from continental competitions refusing licensing of Žalgiris to compete as a Lithuanian club rather than a Soviet club. Eventually, Lithuania became affiliated with UEFA in 1992. The A Lyga champion secures the right to play in UEFA Champions League qualification. The runner up and the 3rd-place winner secure right to play in UEFA Europa Conference League qualification.
Best Lithuanian club result in UEFA competitions was achieved in 2022-23 UEFA club competition season by FK Žalgiris. Lithuanian champions reached the group stage in the 2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League. After the 2022-23 UEFA season, FK Žalgiris was the best performing A lyga club in Europe, taking #130[1] in UEFA Club Coefficients table.
Clubs
| Club | Location | Position in 2022 | First season in A Lyga |
Seasons in top division |
First season of current spell |
Top division titles |
Last title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FK Banga | Gargždai | 8th | 1994 | 10 | 2020 | — | |
| DFK Dainava | Alytus | 1st in I Lyga | 2021 | 2c | 2023 | — | |
| FC Džiugasb | Telšiai | 9th | 2021 | 3 | 2021 | — | |
| FC Hegelmannb | Kaunas | 4th | 2021 | 3 | 2021 | — | |
| FK Kauno Žalgirisb | Kaunas | 2nd | 2015 | 9 | 2015 | — | |
| FK Panevėžysb | Panevėžys | 3rd | 2019 | 5 | 2019 | — | |
| FK Riteriaib | Vilnius | 5th | 2014 | 10 | 2014 | — | |
| FK Sūduvaa | Marijampolė | 6th | 1990 | 22 | 2002 | 3 | 2019 |
| FA Šiauliaib | Šiauliai | 7th | 2022 | 2 | 2022 | — | |
| FC Žalgirisa | Vilnius | 1st | 1990 | 32 | 2010 | 9 | 2022 |
a Founding member of the A Lyga
b Never been relegated from the A Lyga
c Two former clubs, named FK Dainava have participated in A lyga in 2001, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Sponsorship
| Period | Sponsor | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1991–1999 | No sponsor | Lietuvos Lyga |
| 1999–2000 | LFF Lyga | |
| 2001–2003 | LFF A Lyga | |
| 2004–2008 | NFKA A Lyga | |
| 2009–2011 | LFF A Lyga | |
| 2012 | General Financing | LFF General Financing A Lyga[2] |
| 2013–2016 | Credit Service | SMScredit.lt A Lyga[3] |
| 2017–2020 | No sponsor | LFF A Lyga |
| 2021– | Optibet | Optibet A Lyga[4] |
The official ball supplier for the A lyga games in 2023 is Adidas. Nike held this contract between 2013 and 2022, when they took over from Adidas.[3]
Hall of Fame
Interbellum and WWII
After Lithuania gained independence in 1918, the first ever football tournament was held in 1922.
Seasons
| Season | Winner | Runner-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interbellum (Independent Lithuania) | |||
| 1922 | LFLS Kaunas | LFLS Šančiai | LFLS-2 Kaunas |
| 1923 | LFLS Kaunas | KSK Kaunas | Kovas Kaunas |
| 1924 | Kovas Kaunas | Sportverein Klaipėda | LFLS Kaunas / MTV Klaipėda |
| 1925 | Kovas Kaunas | LFLS Šiauliai | Freya Klaipėda |
| 1926 | Kovas Kaunas | KSS Klaipėda | LFLS Šiauliai |
| 1927 | LFLS Kaunas | Sportverein Pagėgiai | LFLS Šiauliai |
| 1928 | KSS Klaipėda | LFLS Kaunas | LDS Šiauliai |
| 1929 | KSS Klaipėda | LFLS Kaunas | KSK Kultus Kaunas / Freya Klaipėda |
| 1930 | KSS Klaipėda | LFLS Kaunas | Sveikata Kybartai / Makabi Šiauliai |
| 1931 | KSS Klaipėda | Kovas Kaunas | Freya Klaipėda |
| 1932 | LFLS Kaunas | KSS Klaipėda | LGSF Kaunas |
| 1933 | Kovas Kaunas | LFLS Kaunas | LGSF Kaunas |
| 1934 | MSK Kaunas | LFLS Kaunas | LGSF Kaunas |
| 1935 | Kovas Kaunas | KSS Klaipėda | Sakalas Šiauliai / Šaulys Ukmergė |
| 1936 | Kovas Kaunas | LFLS Kaunas | LGSF Kaunas |
| 1937 | KSS Klaipėda | Kovas Kaunas | LFLS Kaunas |
| 1937–38 | KSS Klaipėda | LGSF Kaunas | Švyturys Klaipėda |
| 1938–39 | LGSF Kaunas | Kovas Kaunas | KSS Telšiai |
| 1939–40 | Competition abandoned | ||
| World War II (1st Soviet and German Occupations) | |||
| 1941 | Competition not finished due to World War II (Spartakas Kaunas had the best record) | ||
| 1942 | LFLS Kaunas | MSK Panevėžys | Gubernija Šiauliai / LFLS Vilnius |
| 1942–43 | Tauras Kaunas | MSK Panevėžys | Gubernija Šiauliai / LGSF Vilnius |
| 1943–44 | Competition not finished due to World War II (Tauras Kaunas had the best record) | ||
Note: In 1924–1930, 1935, 1942, 1942–1943 and 1945 seasons there was no unified league and winners were decided using either a play–off format or a single game between winners of separate divisions.
Performance by club
| Club | Winner | Runner-up | 3rd | Winning Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kovas Kaunas | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1924, 1925, 1926, 1933, 1935, 1936 |
| KSS Klaipėda | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1937, 1937–38 |
| LFLS Kaunas | 5 | 6 | 2 | 1922, 1923, 1927, 1932, 1942 |
| LGSF Kaunas | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1938–39 |
| MSK Kaunas | 1 | – | – | 1934 |
| Tauras Kaunas | 1 | – | – | 1942–43 |
All champions from this period are defunct.
Post-War period and the Lithuanian SSR Championship
During the Lithuania's Soviet occupation, each soviet republic ran their separate football championship. The clubs could either participate in the competition of the soviet republic, or in the Soviet Union football league system.
Seasons
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Note: The biggest and most notable clubs, such as Žalgiris Vilnius played in Soviet Union's Football Premier League instead of Lithuanian SSR Divisions.
Performance by club
| Club | Winner | Runner-up | 3rd | Winning Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elnias Šiauliai† | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1948, 1949, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1959–60, 1960–61 |
| Inkaras Kaunas† | 5 | 6 | 5 | 1950, 1951, 1954, 1964, 1965 |
| Atlantas Klaipėda | 4 | 7 | - | 1978, 1980, 1981, 1984 |
| Karininkų Namai / Raudonoji Žvaigždė / Saliutas Vilnius† | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1952, 1958–59, 1967 |
| Nevėžis Kėdainiai | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1966, 1972, 1973 |
| Pažanga Vilnius† | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1971, 1982, 1983 |
| Statybininkas Šiauliai† | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1969, 1977 |
| Statyba Panevėžys† | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1962–63, 1968 |
| FK Atletas Kaunas† | 2 | 1 | - | 1961–62, 1970 |
| Atmosfera Mažeikiai† | 2 | - | 2 | 1976, 1979 |
| Banga Kaunas† | 2 | - | 1 | 1986, 1989 |
| Ekranas Panevėžys† | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1985 |
| Tauras Šiauliai† | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1974 |
| SRT Vilnius† | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1988 |
| Lima Kaunas† | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1955 |
| Spartakas Kaunas† | 1 | 1 | - | 1945 |
| Tauras Tauragė† | 1 | 1 | - | 1987 |
| Linų Audiniai Plungė | 1 | - | 2 | 1956 |
| Dainava Alytus | 1 | - | 2 | 1975 |
| Dinamo Kaunas† | 1 | - | - | 1946 |
| Lokomotyvas Kaunas† | 1 | - | - | 1947 |
Clubs currently playing in A Lyga are written in Bold.
† - Defunct clubs.
Regained Independence and the A Lyga - present
As Lithuania regained the independence in 1991,[5] the Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF) was re-established, and A Lyga was shaped same year. The Soviet football divisions dissolved, and the teams that participated in them returned to the Lithuania's national championship.
List of champions (1991–)
Seasons
Performance by club
| Club | Winner | Runner-up | 3rd | Winning Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Žalgiris Vilnius | 10 | 12 | 4 | 1991, 1991–92, 1998–99, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2022 |
| FBK Kaunas† | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 |
| Ekranas Panevėžys | 7 | 4 | 5 | 1992–93, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 |
| Sūduva Marijampolė | 3 | 4 | 5 | 2017, 2018, 2019 |
| Kareda Šiauliai† | 2 | 2 | - | 1996–97, 1997–98 |
| Inkaras Kaunas† | 2 | - | 1 | 1994–95, 1995–96 |
| Sirijus Klaipėda† | 1 | - | 1 | 1990 |
| ROMAR Mažeikiai† | 1 | - | 1 | 1993–94 |
Clubs currently playing in A Lyga are highlighted in Bold.
† - Defunct clubs.
Spectators
The average number of spectators per match remains very low in recent years. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
References
- "UEFA Club Coefficients". Archived from the original on 2021-11-09. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- ""General Financing" - LFF A lygos pagrindinis rėmėjas" (in Lithuanian). Lithuanian Football Federation. 13 October 2011. Archived from the original on 6 March 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
- "2013 metų A lygos startas - su naujais partneriais ir didesnėmis ambicijomis" (in Lithuanian). Lithuanian Football Federation. 27 February 2013. Archived from the original on 6 March 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
- "Generaliniu a lygos rėmėju tampa "Optibet", pradedama partnerystė su TV3 žiniasklaidos grupe". Archived from the original on 2022-04-01. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
- A lyga Archived 2022-04-09 at the Wayback Machine. lfe.lt.
- "Nauji futbolo vėjai". Vakarų Ekspresas (in Lithuanian). 2015-12-08. Archived from the original on 2021-11-30. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
- "LFF klubų licencijavimas. Pagrindiniai skaičiai – 2020 m." (PDF). LFF.lt (in Lithuanian). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-11-26. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
- "Lietuvos Futbolo Federacijos veiklos ataskaita, 2019 metai" (PDF). LFF.lt (in Lithuanian). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-11-30. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
- "A lygos lankomumas augo nepaisant apribojimų". Alyga.lt (in Lithuanian). 2020-11-12. Archived from the original on 2021-11-30. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
- "Statistika". Alyga.lt (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 2019-11-04. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
External links
- Official website (in Lithuanian)
- Futbolo.TV - A lyga streaming and video center (in Lithuanian)
- RSSSF.com - List of Champions
- Lithuanian Football: History & Statistics by Almis - Championship statistics
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