The 2014 Esiliiga was the 24th season of the Esiliiga. The season started on Sunday 2 March 2014, and concluded on Sunday 9 November 2014.[1] Flora II Tallinn won the Esiliiga, finishing with 78 points.

Esiliiga
Season2014
ChampionsFlora II Tallinn
PromotedPärnu Linnameeskond
Tulevik Viljandi
RelegatedVaprus Vändra
Puuma Tallinn
Matches played180
Goals scored731 (4.06 per match)
Top goalscorerKristen Saarts (31 goals)
Biggest home winVaprus Vändra 13–1 Puuma Tallinn
(9 November 2014)
Biggest away winPuuma Tallinn 0–5 Flora II Tallinn
(6 July 2014)
Puuma Tallinn 2–7 Levadia II Tallinn
(27 July 2014)
Kuressaare 2–7 Levadia II Tallinn
(20 August 2014)
Puuma Tallinn 1–6 Pärnu Linnameeskond
(21 September 2014)
Pärnu Linnameeskond 0–5 Levadia II Tallinn
(27 September 2014)
Puuma Tallinn 0–5 Nõmme Kalju II
(2 November 2014)
Highest scoringVaprus Vändra 13–1 Puuma Tallinn
(9 November 2014)
Longest winning runPärnu Linnameeskond (6 games)
Longest unbeaten runFlora II Tallinn (10 games)
Longest winless runPuuma Tallinn (14 games)
Longest losing runPuuma Tallinn (12 games)
2013
2015

Teams

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A total of 10 teams contested the league, including 7 teams from the 2013 season. The 2013 runners-up Lokomotiv Jõhvi were promoted to Meistriliiga, while 9th place Puuma Tallinn and 10th place Irbis Kiviõli escaped relegation due to dissolving of 5th place Tartu SK 10 and 6th place Tammeka II Tartu.[2][3] For this season those three teams will be replaced by the Meistriliiga relegated Kuressaare and Esiliiga B promoted Nõmme Kalju II and Pärnu Linnameeskond. The previous runners-up Tarvas Rakvere failed to win a promotion, losing the promotion play-off, while 8th placed Tulevik Viljandi managed to avoid relegation by winning the relegation play-off.[4]

Stadiums and locations

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Team Location Stadium Capacity
Flora II Tallinn Tallinn Sportland Arena 600
Irbis Kiviõli Kiviõli Kiviõli Stadium 255
Kuressaare Kuressaare Kuressaare linnastaadion 2,000
Levadia II Tallinn Tallinn Maarjamäe Stadium 1,000
Nõmme Kalju II Tallinn Hiiu Stadium 300
Pärnu Linnameeskond Pärnu Pärnu Kalev Stadium 1,000
Puuma Tallinn Tallinn Lasnamäe SPK Stadium 666
Tarvas Rakvere Rakvere Rakvere linnastaadion 2,500
Tulevik Viljandi Viljandi Viljandi linnastaadion 2,506
Vaprus Vändra Vändra Vändra Stadium 277

Personnel and kits

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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 II Tallinn   Jürgen Henn   Ragnar Piir Nike Tele2[5]
Irbis Kiviõli   Erik Šteinberg   Dmitri Kirilov Adidas
Kuressaare   Pelle Pohlak   Sander Viira Joma Saaremaa Lihatööstus
Levadia II Tallinn   Argo Arbeiter   Kristjan Tamme Adidas Viimsi Keevitus
Nõmme Kalju II   Zaur Tšilingarašvili   Martin Mägi Adidas Optibet[6]
Pärnu Linnameeskond   Gert Olesk   Taavi Kitsel Adidas
Puuma Tallinn   Aivar Tiidus   Vitas Mališauskas Adidas
Tarvas Rakvere   Valeri Bondarenko   Alari Tovstik Joma Aqva
Tulevik Viljandi   Aivar Lillevere   Raiko Mutle Joma
Vaprus Vändra   Ranet Lepik   Karel Otto Macron

Managerial changes

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Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Replaced by Date of appointment
Puuma Tallinn   Dmitri Krasilnikov Contract expired 31 December 2013 Pre-season   Aivar Tiidus 1 January 2014[7]
Kuressaare   Sergei Zamogilnõi Mutual consent 7 January 2014[8]   Pelle Pohlak 8 January 2014[9]
Tarvas Rakvere   Reijo Kuusik Mutual consent 3 July 2014 7th   Valeri Bondarenko 3 July 2014[10]

League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Flora II Tallinn[a] (C) 36 24 6 6 104 40 +64 78
2 Levadia II Tallinn[a] 36 20 8 8 102 52 +50 68
3 Pärnu Linnameeskond (P) 36 19 3 14 109 78 +31 60 Promotion to Meistriliiga
4 Nõmme Kalju II[a] 36 17 6 13 69 62 +7 57
5 Tulevik Viljandi (P) 36 14 9 13 53 51 +2 51 Qualification for promotion play-offs
6 Kuressaare 36 14 5 17 69 81 −12 47
7 Irbis Kiviõli 36 12 11 13 72 82 −10 47
8 Tarvas Rakvere (O) 36 12 10 14 61 65 −4 46 Qualification for relegation play-offs
9 Vaprus Vändra (R) 36 11 5 20 60 72 −12 38 Relegation to Esiliiga B
10 Puuma Tallinn[b] (R) 36 2 7 27 32 148 −116 10
Source: Estonian Football Association (in Estonian)
Rules for classification: Points; Least withdrawals or annulled matches; Overall wins; Head-to-head points; Head-to-head goal difference; Goal difference; Goals scored.
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ a b c Reserve teams are ineligible for promotion.
  2. ^ Puuma Tallinn were deducted 3 points for not filling licensing criteria.[11]

Promotion play-offs

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Tulevik Viljandi, who finished 5th, faced Lokomotiv Jõhvi, the 9th-placed 2014 Meistriliiga side for a two-legged play-off. The winner on aggregate score after both matches will earn a spot in the 2015 Meistriliiga. Tulevik Viljandi won 1–1 on aggregate.

Tulevik Viljandi0–0Lokomotiv Jõhvi
Report
Lokomotiv Jõhvi1–1Tulevik Viljandi
Yablokov   52' Report Ilves   71'
Attendance: 96
Referee: Eiko Saar

Relegation play-offs

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Tarvas Rakvere remained in Esiliiga after HÜJK Emmaste voluntarily declined joining the league.[12]

Season statistics

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Top scorers

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Rank Player Team Goals[13]
1   Kristen Saarts Pärnu Linnameeskond/Levadia II Tallinn 31
2   Henri Hanson Pärnu Linnameeskond 25
3   Martin Kase Flora II Tallinn 24
4   Sergei Akimov Tarvas Rakvere 21
5   Anton Issakov Pärnu Linnameeskond 17
6   Aleksei Mamontov Irbis Kiviõli 16
7   Mark Oliver Roosnupp Levadia II Tallinn 15
8   Peeter Klein Nõmme Kalju II 14
  Rasmus Peetson Pärnu Linnameeskond/Levadia II Tallinn 14
10   Aleksandr Pruttšenko Irbis Kiviõli 12

Awards

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Monthly awards

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Month Manager of the Month Player of the Month
Manager Club Player Club
March[14]   Argo Arbeiter Levadia II Tallinn   Kristen Saarts Pärnu Linnameeskond
April[15]   Jürgen Henn Flora II Tallinn   Erkki Kubber Flora II Tallinn
May[16]   Pelle Pohlak Kuressaare   Indrek Ilves Tulevik Viljandi
June[17]   Gert Olesk Pärnu Linnameeskond   Marek Šatov Irbis Kiviõli
July[18]   Aivar Lillevere Tulevik Viljandi   Sander Laht Kuressaare
August[19]   Aivar Lillevere Tulevik Viljandi   Joseph Saliste Flora II Tallinn
September[20]   Erik Šteinberg Irbis Kiviõli   Madis Vihmann Levadia II Tallinn
October[21]   Jürgen Henn Flora II Tallinn   Sören Kaldma Nõmme Kalju II

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "EL MÄNGUDE KALENDER (2014)" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association.
  2. ^ "Jõhvi FC Lokomotiv kindlustas endale Premium liiga koha" [Jõhvi FC Lokomotiv secured the Premium Liiga spot] (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association. 20 October 2013.
  3. ^ "Esiliiga" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association. 17 January 2014.
  4. ^ "ÜLEMINEKUMÄNGUDES OLID EDUKAMAD TAMMEKA, TULEVIK JA INFONET II" [Tammeka, Tulevik and Infonet II successful in the play-offs] (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association. 23 November 2013.
  5. ^ "Flora sai koondisega sama sponsori". Soccernet.ee. 25 September 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  6. ^ "Nõmme Kalju sõlmis Eesti klubijalgpalli ühe suurima lepingu". jkkalju.ee. 7 February 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  7. ^ "Puuma lööb konkurente nooruse uljusega" (in Estonian). Soccernet.ee. 19 January 2014.
  8. ^ "Sergei Zamogilnõi lahkub peatreeneri kohalt" [Sergei Zamogilnõi quits the manager position] (in Estonian). Kuressaare. 7 January 2014.
  9. ^ "FC Kuressaare uus peatreener on Pelle Pohlak" [The new manager of FC Kuressaare is Pelle Pohlak] (in Estonian). Kuressaare. 8 January 2014.
  10. ^ "Bondarenko maandus Tarvas" [Bondarenko lands in Tarvas] (in Estonian). Soccernet.ee. 3 July 2014.
  11. ^ "Puuma alustab hooaega miinuspunktidega". Soccernet.ee. 28 February 2014.
  12. ^ "Emmaste loobus Esiliiga üleminekumängudest" (in Estonian). Soccernet.ee. 12 November 2014.
  13. ^ "EL» VÄRAVALÖÖJATE EDETABEL (2014)" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association.
  14. ^ "Premium liiga kuu parimad on Prosa ja Ratnikov" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association. 4 April 2014.
  15. ^ "Premium liiga kuu parimad on Prins ja Reintam" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association. 1 May 2014.
  16. ^ "Maikuu parimateks tunnistati Hurt ja Ratnikov" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association. 10 June 2014.
  17. ^ "Premium liiga parimateks valiti Marko Kristal ja Lasha Omanidze" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association. 3 July 2014.
  18. ^ "Juulikuu parimad olid Puštov ja Luigend" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  19. ^ "Premium liiga kuu parimad tulevad Sillamäelt" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association. 12 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  20. ^ "Premium liiga kuu parimad on Prins ja Smishko" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association. 2 October 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  21. ^ "Premium liiga kuu parimad on Manucho ja Frantsev" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association. 6 November 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2014.