2008 Meistriliiga

Meistriliiga
Season2008
ChampionsLevadia
(6th title)
RelegatedVaprus
TVMK
Champions LeagueLevadia
Europa LeagueFlora
Narva Trans
Kalju
Matches played180
Goals scored639 (3.55 per match)
Top goalscorerIngemar Teever (23)
Biggest home winTVMK 8–0 Tallinna Kalev
Biggest away winTulevik 0–8 Flora
Highest scoringVaprus 3–10 TVMK
← 2007
2009 →

The 2008 season of Meistriliiga, the first level in the Estonian football system, was the 18th season in the league's history. It began on 8 March 2008 and ended on 15 November 2008. The defending champions were Levadia.

Promotion and relegation

10th placed Ajax were directly relegated after the end of the previous season. Since reserve squads are not allowed to be promoted to Meistriliiga, third placed Esiliiga team Sillamäe Kalev were directly promoted to 2008 Meistriliiga.

Kuressaare (9th placed Meistriliiga team) and Kalju (6th placed Esiliiga team) competed in promotion/relegation play-offs for one spot in 2008 Meistriliiga. The aggregate score was 2–2 and Nõmme Kalju were promoted due to scoring more away goals.

Clubs and venues

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Location of teams in Meistriliiga 2008
Team Location Stadium Capacity Manager
Flora Tallinn A. Le Coq Arena 9,300 Pasi Rautiainen
Kalju Tallinn Hiiu Stadium 500 Getúlio Fredo
Levadia Tallinn Kadriorg Stadium 5,000 Igor Prins
Maag Tammeka Tartu Tartu Tamme Stadium 1,500 Sergei Zamogilnõi
Sillamäe Kalev Sillamäe Sillamäe Kalev Stadium 800 Vadym Dobizha
Tallinna Kalev Tallinn Kalev Keskstaadion 11,500 Aavo Sarap
Narva Trans Narva Kreenholm Stadium 1,065 Aleksei Yagudin
Tulevik Viljandi Viljandi linnastaadion 1,084 Marko Lelov
TVMK Tallinn Kadriorg Stadium 5,000 Sergei Ratnikov
Vaprus Pärnu Pärnu Kalev Stadium 1,900 Ants Kommussaar

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Levadia (C) 36 29 6 1 105 22 +83 93 Qualification for Champions League second qualifying round
2 Flora 36 28 7 1 113 28 +85 91 Qualification for Europa League second qualifying round
3 Narva Trans 36 16 8 12 62 54 +8 56 Qualification for Europa League first qualifying round
4 Kalju 36 16 7 13 65 64 +1 55
5 Sillamäe Kalev 36 13 6 17 49 79 −30 45
6 Tulevik 36 9 4 23 31 74 −43 31
7 Maag Tammeka 36 9 4 23 45 76 −31 31
8 Tallinna Kalev 36 6 8 22 37 70 −33 26
9 Vaprus (R) 36 5 2 29 41 125 −84 17 Qualification for relegation play-off
10 TVMK (R) 36 20 6 10 91 47 +44 66 Relegation to Esiliiga
Source: Estonian Football Association (in Estonian)
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) number of wins; 3) head-to-head points; 4) head-to-head goal difference; 5) head-to-head goals scored; 6) goal difference; 7) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Flora won the 2008–09 Estonian Cup and qualified for second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. Therefore, Nõmme Kalju, fourth-placed team and cup runners-up, earned a spot in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.
  2. ^ a b TUL: 6 pts, 7–5; M-T: 6 pts, 5–7
  3. ^ On 6 November 2008, the Estonian Football Association decided not to grant TVMK a license to play in Meistriliiga or Esiliiga, due to financial difficulties during the season. The Estonian Football Association allowed them to play until the end of the season and as they finished in third place, the players and coaches received bronze medals, but the club itself was dropped to 10th place. TVMK were eventually disbanded.

Relegation play-off

Vaprus and Esiliiga side Paide Linnameeskond competed in a two-legged relegation play-off for one spot in 2009 Meistriliiga. Aggregate score was 5–5 and Paide Linnameeskond secured their place in 2009 Meistriliiga because they scored more away goals (3–1).

Paide Linnameeskond2–1Vaprus
Polyansky 22' (o.g.)
Ellram 67'		 Report
(in Estonian)		 Kovalenko 90'
Attendance: 150
Referee: Ainar Kuusk
Vaprus4–3Paide Linnameeskond
Joost 48'
Pakk 70', 75'
Polyansky 72'		 Report
(in Estonian)		 Saar 13'
Voolaid 43'
Ellram 65'
Attendance: 100
Referee: Jaan Roos

Results

Each team played every opponent four times, twice at home and twice on the road, for a total of 36 games.

Season statistics

Top scorers

Rank Player Club Goals
1 Ingemar Teever Kalju 23
2 Nikita Andreev Levadia 22
3 Sander Post Flora 19
4 Jarmo Ahjupera Flora 17
Felipe Nunes Kalju
6 Tarmo Kink Levadia 16
7 Henri Anier Flora 15
Indrek Zelinski Levadia
9 Irfan Ametov Sillamäe Kalev 13
Artjom Dmitrijev TVMK
Vladislav Gussev TVMK
Nikolai Lõsanov Narva Trans

Awards

Monthly awards

Month Manager of the Month Player of the Month
Manager Club Player Club
March Getúlio Fredo Kalju Sander Post Flora
April Igor Prins Levadia Ingemar Teever Kalju
May Pasi Rautiainen Flora Konstantin Nahk Levadia
June Igor Prins Levadia Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko Flora
July Pasi Rautiainen Flora Mihhail Starodubtsev Sillamäe Kalev
August Igor Prins Levadia Juha Hakola Flora
September Vadym Dobizha Sillamäe Kalev Tarmo Kink Levadia
October Aleksei Yagudin Narva Trans Marek Lemsalu Levadia

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Kadrioru Staadion" (in Estonian). Eesti Spordiregister.
  2. ^ "Tartu Tamme staadion" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association.
  3. ^ "Kalevi Keskstaadion" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association.
  4. ^ "Narva Kreenholmi staadion" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association.
  5. ^ "Viljandi linnastaadion" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association.
  6. ^ FC TVMK meeskonnad langesid Meistri- ja Esiliigast välja. Archived 2009-06-21 at the Wayback Machine (in Estonian)
  7. ^ TVMK kadumine ulatas Vaprusele õlekõrre (in Estonian)
  8. ^ "MÄNGUDE AJALUGU" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h "Oktoobri parimad Lemsalu ja Jagudin". Eesti Päevaleht (in Estonian). 31 October 2008.