2020 Meistriliiga
The 2020 Meistriliiga (known as A. Le Coq Premium Liiga for sponsorship reasons[1]) was the 30th season of the Meistriliiga, the top Estonian league for association football clubs. The season began on 6 March 2020,[2] but was suspended after the first round due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] The league continued on 19 May 2020.[4] The season concluded on 6 December, with the last match between Flora and FCI Levadia cancelled due to COVID-19 cases in both teams.[5] The defending champions Flora successfully defended their title, winning second title in a row and their 13th in total.[6]
Season | 2020 |
---|---|
Dates | 6 March – 8 March 19 May – 6 December |
Champions | Flora 13th title |
Relegated | Tallinna Kalev |
Champions League | Flora |
Europa Conference League | Paide Linnameeskond |
Matches played | 147 |
Goals scored | 442 (3.01 per match) |
Top goalscorer | Rauno Sappinen (26 goals) |
Biggest home win | Tulevik 5–0 Kuressaare (7 June 2020) |
Biggest away win | Kalev 1–8 Paide (7 March 2020) |
Highest scoring | Paide 7–4 Nõmme Kalju (6 December 2020) |
← 2019 2021 → |
Teams
Ten teams competed in the league, nine sides from the 2019 season and 2019 Esiliiga champions TJK Legion. Legion made their debut in the top tier after consecutive promotions from fourth tier in three seasons.[7] Maardu Linnameeskond were relegated at the end of the 2019 season after finishing in the bottom of the table. Kuressaare retained their Meistriliiga spot after winning a relegation play-off against Esiliiga runners-up Vaprus.[8]
Venues


Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|
FCI Levadia | Tallinn | A. Le Coq Arena | 14,336[9] |
Flora | |||
Kuressaare | Kuressaare | Kuressaare linnastaadion | 1,000[10] |
TJK Legion | Tallinn | Kadriorg Stadium | 5,000[11] |
Narva Trans | Narva | Narva Kreenholm Stadium | 1,065[12] |
Nõmme Kalju | Tallinn | Hiiu Stadium | 650[13] |
Paide Linnameeskond | Paide | Paide linnastaadion | 268[14] |
Tallinna Kalev | Tallinn | Kadriorg Stadium | 5,000[11] |
Tammeka | Tartu | Tartu Tamme Stadium | 1,500[15] |
Tulevik | Viljandi | Viljandi linnastaadion | 1,084[16] |
Personnel and kits
Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
---|---|---|---|---|
FCI Levadia | ![]() |
![]() |
Adidas | Viimsi Keevitus |
Flora | ![]() |
![]() |
Nike | Tele2 |
Kuressaare | ![]() |
![]() |
Nike | |
TJK Legion | ![]() |
![]() |
Uhlsport | |
Narva Trans | ![]() |
![]() |
Nike | Sportland |
Nõmme Kalju | ![]() |
![]() |
Adidas | Paf[17] |
Paide Linnameeskond | ![]() |
![]() |
Nike | Verston |
Tallinna Kalev | ![]() |
![]() |
Macron | Coolbet |
Tammeka | ![]() |
![]() |
Nike | Metec |
Tulevik | ![]() |
![]() |
Joma | Espak[18] |
Managerial changes
Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FCI Levadia | ![]() |
Caretaker spell over | 11 November 2019[19] | Pre-season | ![]() |
11 November 2019[19] |
Narva Trans | ![]() |
Caretaker spell over | 15 November 2019[20] | ![]() |
15 November 2019[20] | |
Nõmme Kalju | ![]() |
End of contract | 28 November 2019[21] | ![]() |
2 December 2019[22] | |
Kuressaare | ![]() |
End of contract | 16 December 2019[23] | ![]() |
16 December 2019[23] | |
Tallinna Kalev | ![]() |
Mutual consent | 18 March 2020[24] | 10th | ![]() |
18 March 2020[24] |
Narva Trans | ![]() |
Mutual consent | 19 June 2010[25] | 10th | ![]() |
19 June 2010[25] |
Levadia | ![]() |
Resigned | 10 July 2020[26] | 3rd | ![]() |
10 July 2020[26] |
Tallinna Kalev | ![]() |
Sacked | 31 August 2020[27] | 10th | ![]() |
31 August 2020[27] |
Format changes
Due to the long pause, the season was shortened. Instead of the regular format of each team playing each of the other teams four times, the league were to be splitted after the third playthrough into two sections of top 6 and bottom 4, with each team playing each other in that section.[28]
On 7 November, due to the second wave of COVID-19, the season was shortened even more with the league splitted into three sections after the 27th round – top 4, 5th & 6th, and bottom 4, with each team playing each other in that section.[29]
On 11 December the season's last match between Flora and FCI Levadia was cancelled.[5]
League table
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Flora (C) | 29 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 76 | 17 | +59 | 80 | Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round |
2 | Paide Linnameeskond | 30 | 21 | 1 | 8 | 80 | 43 | +37 | 64 | Qualification for the Europa Conference League first qualifying round |
3 | FCI Levadia | 29 | 17 | 6 | 6 | 66 | 37 | +29 | 57 | |
4 | Nõmme Kalju | 30 | 14 | 7 | 9 | 52 | 31 | +21 | 49 | |
5 | Tammeka | 28 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 33 | 44 | −11 | 32 | |
6 | Tulevik | 28 | 9 | 4 | 15 | 30 | 46 | −16 | 31 | |
7 | TJK Legion | 30 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 26 | 44 | −18 | 31 | |
8 | Narva Trans | 30 | 6 | 7 | 17 | 31 | 49 | −18 | 25 | |
9 | Kuressaare (O) | 30 | 5 | 9 | 16 | 28 | 63 | −35 | 24 | Qualification for the Relegation play-offs |
10 | Tallinna Kalev (R) | 30 | 5 | 5 | 20 | 20 | 68 | −48 | 20 | Relegation to the Esiliiga |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Less matches awarded against; 3) Head-to-head points; 4) Head-to-head goal difference; 5) Matches won; 6) Goal difference; 7) Goals scored; 8) Away goals scored; 9) Fairplay ranking.[30]
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner; (R) Relegated.
Relegation play-offs
At season's end Kuressaare, the ninth place club, participated in a two-legged play-off with the runners-up (of independent teams) of the 2020 Esiliiga, Maardu Linnameeskond, for the spot in 2021 Meistriliiga.
10 December 2020 | Maardu Linnameeskond | 3–5 | Kuressaare | Maardu |
18:00 (UTC+2) | Anton Aristov ![]() Maksim Krivošein ![]() Ilja Zelentsov ![]() |
Report | Märten Pajunurm ![]() Sander Laht ![]() Sören Kaldma ![]() Michael Schjønning-Larsen ![]() Rasmus Saar ![]() |
Stadium: Maardu kunstmuruväljak Referee: Kristo Külljastinen |
13 December 2020 | Kuressaare | 4–2 | Maardu Linnameeskond | Kuressaare |
13:00 (UTC+2) | Sten Penzev ![]() Mattias Männilaan ![]() Sander Laht ![]() |
Report | Vladislav Ogorodnik ![]() Vadim Aksjonov ![]() |
Stadium: Kuressaare kunstmurustaadion Referee: Karl Koppel |
- Kuressaare won 9–5 on aggregate and retained their Meistriliiga spot for the 2021 season.
Fixtures and results
A total of four rounds was be played. In the first three rounds teams played each other three times. In the fourth round the league was splited into 3 groups – top 4, 5th and 6th, and bottom 4, where they played each team in their group one more time.[31]
Rounds 1–18
Rounds 19–27
Top four rounds 28–30
Fifth & sixth round 28
Bottom four rounds 28–30
Season statistics
Top scorers
Rank | Player | Club | Goals[32] |
---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | Flora | 26 |
2 | ![]() | Paide Linnameeskond | 14 |
3 | ![]() | Tammeka | 12 |
4 | ![]() | FCI Levadia | 11 |
5 | ![]() | Paide Linnameeskond | 10 |
![]() | Paide Linnameeskond | ||
![]() | Flora | ||
8 | ![]() | Nõmme Kalju | 9 |
![]() | FCI Levadia | ||
![]() | Paide Linnameeskond | ||
![]() | Tulevik | ||
![]() | Paide Linnameeskond | ||
![]() | Nõmme Kalju |
Hat-tricks
Player | For | Against | Result | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Paide Linnameeskond | Tallinna Kalev | 8–1 (A) | 7 March 2020[33] |
![]() | Nõmme Kalju | Tulevik | 6–0 (A) | 31 May 2020[34] |
![]() | Paide Linnameeskond | Kuressaare | 6–2 (H) | 1 November 2020[35] |
![]() | Flora | Paide Linnameeskond | 7–1 (A) | 29 November 2020[36] |
Awards
Monthly awards
Month | Manager of the Month | Player of the Month | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manager | Club | Player | Club | |
May[37] | ![]() | Levadia | ![]() | Nõmme Kalju |
June[38] | ![]() | Flora | ![]() | Tulevik |
July[39] | ![]() | Flora | ![]() | Nõmme Kalju |
August[40] | ![]() | Paide Linnameeskond | ![]() | Flora |
September[41] | ![]() | Legion | ![]() | Paide Linnameeskond |
October[42] | ![]() | Tammeka | ![]() | FCI Levadia |
Team of the season
Source:[43]