Founded | 1991 |
---|---|
Country | Lithuania |
Confederation | UEFA |
Number of teams | 10 (2024) |
Level on pyramid | 1 |
Relegation to | I Lyga |
Domestic cup(s) | Lithuanian Football Cup Lithuanian Supercup |
International cup(s) | UEFA Champions League UEFA Conference League |
Current champions | FK Žalgiris (11th title) (2024) |
Most championships | FK Žalgiris (11 titles) |
Website | www |
Current: 2024 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).
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 1990. The naming convention changed several times, but since 1999 the league is consistently referred to as A lyga.
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 Feabuary/March and ends in November. Because of harsh climate, there are no games in winter.Until early spring(April/March,and it depends on the weather/temperature)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.
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.
Club | Location | Position in 2023 | First season in A Lyga | Seasons in top division | First season of current spell | Top division titles | Last title |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Banga | Gargždai | 6th | 1994 | 11 | 2020 | — | |
DFK Dainava | Alytus | 8th | 2021 | 3c | 2023 | ||
Džiugas b | Telšiai | 9th | 2021 | 4 | 2021 | ||
Hegelmann b | Kaunas District | 5th | 2021 | 4 | 2021 | ||
Kauno Žalgiris b | Kaunas | 4th | 2015 | 10 | 2015 | ||
Panevėžys b | Panevėžys | 1st | 2019 | 6 | 2019 | 1 | 2023 |
Sūduva a | Marijampolė | 7th | 1990 | 23 | 2002 | 3 | 2019 |
FA Šiauliai b | Šiauliai | 3rd | 2022 | 3 | 2022 | — | |
TransInvest b | Galinė | LFF I Lyga, 1st | 2024 | 1 | 2024 | — | |
Žalgiris a | Vilnius | 2nd | 1990 | 33 | 2010 | 10 | 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
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 |
2021–2023 | Baltic Bet | Optibet A Lyga [4] |
2024– | TOPsport | TOPsport A Lyga |
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]
After Lithuania gained independence in 1918, the first ever football tournament was held in 1922.
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.
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.
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.
Note: The biggest and most notable clubs, such as Žalgiris Vilnius played in Soviet Union's Football Premier League instead of Lithuanian SSR Divisions.
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.
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.
Club | Winner | Runner-up | 3rd | Winning Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|
Žalgiris Vilnius | 11 | 13 | 4 | 1991, 1991–92, 1998–99, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024 |
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 |
FK Panevėžys | 1 | - | 1 | 2023 |
Clubs currently playing in A Lyga are highlighted in Bold.
† - Defunct clubs.
Player name | Goals | Clubs |
---|---|---|
Povilas Luksys | 192 | Alsa Vilnius, FK Ekranas, FK Sūduva |
Ricardas Beniusis | 171 | Inkaras Kaunas, Atlantas Klaipeda, FBK Kaunas, FK Sūduva, FK Kruoja Pakruojis |
Remigijus Pocius | 163 | ROMAR Mažeikiai, FK Kareda, FBK Kaunas |
Andrius Velicka | 136 | FBK Kaunas, FK Ekranas, FK Žalgiris, FK Kauno Žalgiris |
Tomas Radzinevicius | 120 | FK Sūduva |
Darius Maciulevicius | 114 | FK Inkaras Kaunas, FBK Kaunas, FC Vilnius, FK Sūduva |
Arturas Rimkevicius | 109 | FBK Kaunas, FK Silute, FK Ekranas, FK Šiauliai, FC Stumbras |
Eimanatas Poderis | 108 | Inkaras Kaunas, FBK Kaunas |
Igoris Morinas | 104 | FK Panerys Vilnius, FK Žalgiris, FK Kruoja Pakruojis |
Mantas Savenas | 103 | FK Ekranas |
Player name | Appearances | Clubs |
---|---|---|
Robertas Vėževičius | 412 | FK Vėtra, FC Šiauliai, FK Kruoja, FC Stumbras, FK Atlantas, FK Suduva, FK Banga |
Vaidas Slavickas | 381 | FK Ekranas, FK Suduva |
Futbolo klubas Žalgiris, commonly known as FK Žalgiris, Žalgiris Vilnius or simply Žalgiris, is a Lithuanian professional football club based in Vilnius. The club competes in the A Lyga, the top flight of Lithuanian football. The club was founded as Dinamo in 1947. The club's name commemorates the victorious Battle of Žalgiris. Žalgiris has featured many Lithuanian football legends during its history including Arminas Narbekovas, Valdas Ivanauskas, Edgaras Jankauskas and Deividas Šemberas. They have won the Lithuanian Championship 10 times, the Lithuanian Football Cup 14 times, and the Lithuanian Supercup 7 times.
Dzūkija Futbolo Klubas Dainava, in short, DFK Dainava, is a Lithuanian football club from Alytus. The club was established in 2016 as a phoenix club after FK Dainava Alytus was dissolved in 2014.
The 2011 A Lyga was the 22nd season of the A Lyga, the top-tier football league of Lithuania. The season began on 12 March 2011 and ended on 6 November 2011. Ekranas were the defending champions, having won their third consecutive title at the end of the 2010 season.
The 2012 A Lyga, also known as General Financing A Lyga for sponsoring purposes, was the 23rd season of the A Lyga, the top-tier football league of Lithuania. The season started on 10 March 2012 and ended on 11 November 2012. Ekranas were the defending champions.
Futbolo Klubas Riteriai, also known as FK Riteriai or as Riteriai, is a Lithuanian professional football club based in Vilnius. Until 21 February 2019, the club was based in Trakai and was known as FK Trakai. Between 2014 and 2023, it played in the top level of Lithuanian football, the A Lyga.
Football Club Stumbras was a professional football club, based in Kaunas, Lithuania, which played in A Lyga, the top tier of Lithuanian football. Founded in 2013 on the basis of the NFA, the club has reached the heights of Lithuanian football in a fairly short period of time. It became infamous for one-sided footballer contracts. The club stopped functioning mid-season in 2019 after the owner pulled out the funds. The club played its home matches at the Darius and Girėnas Stadium and used the NFA stadium in Kaunas as an alternative.
Futbolo klubas Panevėžys, commonly known as Panevėžys, is a Lithuanian professional football club from the city of Panevėžys. The team currently plays in A Lyga, the top tier of Lithuanian football.
The 2017 A Lyga was the 28th season of the A Lyga, the top-tier association football league of Lithuania. The season began on 3 March 2017 and ended on 19 November 2017.
The 2017 Lithuanian Football Cup, also known as LFF Cup, was the seventy-second season of the Lithuanian annual football knock-out tournament. Forty-four teams entered the competitions, which started on 27 April and ended on 24 September in Aukštaitija Stadium, Panevėžys.
The 2018 A Lyga was the 29th season of the A Lyga, the top-tier association football league of Lithuania. The season began on 25 February 2018 and ended on 11 November 2018.
The 2018 Lithuanian Football Cup, also known as LFF Cup, was the seventy-third season of the Lithuanian annual football knock-out tournament. Forty-eight teams entered the competitions, which started on 27 April and ended on 30 September.
FK Be1 is a Lithuanian football team based in Jonava. Before 2019, it was named FK NFA, later – Be1 NFA.
The 2018 II Lyga season was the second season since return to two divisions system, the twentieth after switch to spring-to-fall format and the thirtieth overall after the restoration of Independence.
The 2019 A Lyga was the 30th season of the A Lyga, the top-tier association football league of Lithuania. The season began on 2 March 2019 and ended on 27 November 2019.
2019 Lithuanian Football Cup, SHARP LFF Cup was the 31st independent Lithuania and the 74th overall national football cup tournament.
The 2019 LFF I Lyga was the 30th season of the I Lyga, the second tier association football league of Lithuania. The season began on 22 March 2019 and finished in 27 October 2019.
The 2020 A Lyga was the 31st season of the A Lyga, the top-tier football league of Lithuania. The season began on 6 March and was planned to end on 7 November 2020. On 12 March all sports events were postponed for two weeks in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2020 LFF I Lyga is the 31st season of the I Lyga, the second tier football league of Lithuania. The season was planned to begin in March, but was delayed to June because of COVID-19 pandemic. The season finished on time on 31 October.
The 2021 A Lyga, for sponsorship reasons also called Optibet A lyga is the 32nd season of the A Lyga, the top-tier football league of Lithuania. The season began on 5 March and concluded on 28 November 2021.
The 2022 A Lyga, for sponsorship reasons also called Optibet A lyga was the 33rd season of the A Lyga, the top-tier football league of Lithuania. The season began on 4 March and concluded on 23 November 2022.