About A. Le Coq Premium Liiga

The Premium Liiga employs a quadruple round-robin format, where each team plays 36 matches over the season (facing each opponent four times—twice at home and twice away). Teams are awarded three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. The team with the most points at the end of the season is crowned the league champion. In case of a tie in points between teams, the league uses the following tie-breakers:

  1. Head-to-head results between the tied teams
  2. Goal difference in head-to-head matches
  3. Overall goal difference
  4. Goals scored

At the end of the season, the league’s champion qualifies for the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, while the second and third-placed teams secure spots in the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers. The team finishing last is relegated to the Esiliiga, the second division, and the second-last team may face a relegation playoff against a top Esiliiga side​.

Year founded: 1992
Confederation: UEFA
Number of teams: 10
Current champions: FCI Levadia (11)
Most titles: FC Flora (15)
Played: March to November

# Club GP W D L +/- Pts
1 FCI Levadia 36 27 6 3 63 87
2 Paide 36 21 9 6 35 72
3 Nõmme Kalju FC 36 23 3 10 35 72
4 FC Flora 36 21 7 8 26 70
5 JK Tammeka 36 11 9 16 -7 42
6 JK Narva Trans 36 10 12 14 -15 42
7 Pärnu JK Vaprus 36 9 8 19 -22 35
8 FC Kuressaare 36 8 10 18 -21 34
9 JK Tallinna Kalev 36 8 7 21 -37 31
10 FC Nõmme United 36 2 9 25 -57 15

Männilaan completes move to Lincoln Red Imps

8 January 2025
FC Kuressaare striker Mattias Männilaan has completed a move to Lincoln Red Imps FC in Gibraltar, signing a six month contract with the club, with possibility of extending the contract by a year via mutual agreement. Lincoln Red Imps FC are the reigning champions of Gibraltar and the country's most successful club, having won the domestic title 28 times.
Read more

Foreign Player Regulations

In the Premium Liiga, clubs are allowed to register foreign players, but they must follow a specific regulation limiting how many can be on the pitch at the same time. No more than five foreign players are permitted on the field during matches.

Historical Context and Notable Teams

The Estonian Premium Liiga was established in 1992 after the country’s independence from the Soviet Union. Before the formation of the Premium Liiga, Estonian clubs competed in Soviet leagues. Following independence, the league was structured similarly to other European leagues, with a clear promotion and relegation system. The Premium Liiga currently features 10 teams, and the season runs from March to November.

Since its establishment, the Premium Liiga has been dominated by FC Flora Tallinn. Flora has won the most league titles and is known for its strong development of domestic talent. Another powerhouse is FC Levadia Tallinn, a fierce rival of Flora, with both clubs regularly competing for top honors. Other notable teams include Nõmme Kalju and Paide Linnameeskond, which have also enjoyed competitive success in recent seasons​

Disciplinary and Fair Play Rules

The Premium Liiga follows FIFA’s disciplinary regulations, including suspensions for accumulating yellow cards. A player who collects five yellow cards over the course of the season receives an automatic one-match suspension. Red cards result in more severe penalties, with the number of matches suspended depending on the severity of the foul.

Media coverage and development

Media coverage of the Premium Liiga has expanded in recent years, with local outlets like ERR and online platforms providing live streams and match highlights.

All league games are available on YouTube via the Soccernet.ee and Premium Liiga accounts.

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