I Lyga

The I Lyga, LFF I Lyga, Pirma Lyga, is the second tier of professional Lithuanian football championship.

LFF I Lyga
Founded1991
CountryLithuania
Number of teams14
Level on pyramid2
Promotion toA Lyga
Relegation toII Lyga
Current championsNevėžis (2020)
TV partnersFutbolo.tv, Init
Websitehttp://www.pirmalyga.lt
Current: 2020 LFF I Lyga

Format

Organized by the Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF), I Lyga is contested by 14 teams in 2020 (16 in 2019), with the top team gaining promotion to A Lyga and replaced by the lowest-placed team in top division and the bottom 4 clubs being relegated to the II Lyga. Starting with the 2016 season, the second-placed team qualifies to promotion play-offs with A Lyga's next-to-last team. The final list of participants often does not correlate to the final results of the previous season, as the participation is finalized through the Lithuanian Football Federation league licensing process.

History

There were 15 teams competing in the 2017 season. At the end of this season, three teams withdrew from all competitions.

In 2018, there were 14 teams that started the championship. However, FK Koralas Klaipėda withdrew in the mid-season. After the end of the season, two more teams have withdrawn from participation in the next season.

The 2019 season saw 16 teams starting the championship. In June FC Stumbras ran into financial difficulties, its license was withdrawn from the A Lyga, along with Stumbras B license in the I Lyga. In July Stumbras B was removed from the league, with all results annulled as the team played less than half of all season games. At the end of the season an investigation into match-fixing was launched. As a result, FK Atlantas and FK Palanga were expelled from A Lyga and demoted to II Lyga. An appeal to allow to participate in I Lyga was rejected. As the investigation continued, I Lyga side FC Kupiškis was also found to be involved in match-fixing, and subsequently fined and demoted to II Lyga.

Although the 2019 I Lyga winners FC Džiugas Telšiai won promotion to A lyga, the club failed to meet 2020 A Lyga licensing criteria, and had their promotion forfeited. Only FK Banga Gargždai had advanced to A Lyga after the 2019 season, having won the promotion playoff against the A lyga 7-th placed FK Palanga before its expulsion from the A Lygas.

Current Season

The I Lyga suffered withdrawal of FC Stumbras B during the 2019 season, and the expulsion of FC Kupiškis after the end of the season. Only one team, FC Pakruojis was relegated, and replaced with three teams from II Lyga. No teams were relegated from the A Lyga, and only one team FK Banga Gargždai was promoted from I Lyga. At the end of licensing process the final team count stood at 14.

2020 I Lyga Participants
TeamTownStadiumCapacity
FK Atmosfera (2012)MažeikiaiMažeikių miesto stadionas2,500
Baltijos Futbolo AkademijaVilniusFabijoniškių stadionas340
DFK DainavaAlytusAlytaus miesto stadionas4,000
FC DžiugasTelšiaiTelšių miesto centrinis stadionas3,000
FC Hegelmann LitauenKaunasNFA stadionas1,000
FK JonavaJonavaJonavos miesto stadionas1,400
Kauno Žalgiris BKaunasSM Tauras Stadium500
FK Minija (2017)KretingaKretingos miesto stadionas1,000
FK NevėžisKėdainiaiKėdainių miesto centrinis stadionas3,000
Panevėžys BPanevėžysAukštaitija Stadium6,600
Riteriai BVilniusLFF Stadium5,400
Sūduva BMarijampolėARVI Football Arena6,250
FA ŠiauliaiŠiauliaiSavivaldybės stadionas9,125
Vilniaus VytisVilniusLFF Stadium5,400
Žalgiris BVilniusLFF Stadium5,400

Promotion/relegation play-off

For the last several years, the second-placed team contested with A Lyga's next-to-last team in a play-off for a spot in A Lyga.

Since 2020 season saw A Lyga reduced to 6 teams, the LFF announced that 4 teams will gain promotion from I Lyga this season. The play-off match was not mentioned.[1]

Past Seasons

Season Champion Topscorer Goals
1990 Panerys Vilnius
1991 Žalgiris-2 Vilnius
1991–92 Žalgiris-2 Vilnius
1992–93 Azotas Jonava
1993–94 Mūša Ukmergė
1994–95Geležinis Vilkas VilniusIgoris Verbovikas (Lokomotyvas Vilnius)13
1995–96Ranga-Politechnika Kaunas Svajūnas Česnulis (Laisvė Šilutė)19
1996–97Klevas ŠiauliaiSvajūnas Česnulis (Laisvė Šilutė)23
1997–98Dainava AlytusJevgenijus Medvedevas (Lietava Jonava17
1998–99Lietava JonavaMarijus Kursevičius (Atletas Kaunas)20
1999Kauno Jėgeriai Ruslanas Kirsanovas (Geležinis Vilkas Vilnius)15
2000Vėtra RūdiškėsŠarūnas Litvinas (Pieno Cechas Kalvarija)32
2001Polonija VilniusTomas Radzinevičius (Sūduva Marijampolė)33
2002Vėtra RūdiškėsDenisas Vasilkovas (Interas Visaginas, Vėtra Rūdiškės)27
2003Polonija VilniusVytautas Zaboras (Polonija Vilnius)27
2004KFK ŠiauliaiGvidas Juška (Babrungas Plungė, Kauno Jėgeriai)21
2005Alytis Alytus Kęstutis Nepas (Vėtra-2 Vilnius, Alytis Alytus)22
2006Kauno Jėgeriai Ramūnas Timinskas (Kruoja Pakruojis)22
2007Alytis Alytus Rimantas Cepovas (Rodiklis Kaunas)25
2008Tauras TauragėMartynas Karalius (Glestum Klaipėda)19
2009ŠilutėGvidas Juška (Šilutė)21
2010FBK Kaunas Arsenijus Buinickis (Lietava Jonava)28
2011REO VilniusAivaras Lyberis (Nevėžis Kėdainiai)24
2012Lietava JonavaAivaras Lyberis (Nevėžis Kėdainiai)24
2013Klaipėdos GranitasAivaras Lyberis (Nevėžis Kėdainiai)
Edgaras Mastianica (Klaipėdos Granitas)
18
2014Stumbras KaunasArtūras Rimkevičius (Stumbras Kaunas)26
2015Lietava JonavaLaurynas Stonkus (Lietava Jonava)30
2016Šilas Kazlų RūdaArtur Skuratovič (Vilniaus Vytis)31
2017PalangaGvidas Juška (Palanga)31
2018PanevėžysEvaldas Kugys (Nevėžis Kėdainiai)20
2019FC Džiugas TelšiaiEvaldas Kugys (Nevėžis Kėdainiai), Jose Luis Balanta (DFK Dainava)19

References

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