The 2016 A Lyga, also known as ''SMSCredit.lt A Lyga'' for sponsoring purposes was the 27th season of the
A Lyga
The A Lyga is the top division of professional football in Lithuania. It is organized by Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF) ().
History
The first football league was established in Lithuania in 1924, and in various forms existed until 1939. ...
, the top-tier
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
league of
Lithuania
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
. The season began on 2 March and ended on 26 November 2016.
Žalgiris Vilnius Žalgiris is the Lithuanian-language calque of the Polish placename ''Grunwald'', notable for the Battle of Grunwald ().
Žalgiris may also refer to:
Kaunas, Lithuania
* BC Žalgiris, basketball club from Kaunas founded in 1944
* Žalgiris Kaunas, ...
were the defending champions.
Teams
FK Šiauliai FK or fk may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Flyer Killer, fictional automated robots in the ''Terminator'' film franchise
* Fox Kids, a former American children's television programming block
* Funky Kong
is a series of video games pub ...
failed to obtain a license to play in the
A Lyga
The A Lyga is the top division of professional football in Lithuania. It is organized by Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF) ().
History
The first football league was established in Lithuania in 1924, and in various forms existed until 1939. ...
and were relegated alongside
FK Kruoja, which withdrew and
FK Klaipedos Granitas FK or fk may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Flyer Killer, fictional automated robots in the ''Terminator'' film franchise
* Fox Kids, a former American children's television programming block
* Funky Kong, a video game character
Place
* F ...
, which was disqualified. They were replaced by
FK Lietava Jonava, which will make its debut at the top level. FK Spyris Kaunas changed its name to
FK Kauno Žalgiris
Futbolo klubas Kauno Žalgiris (''Football club Kauno Žalgiris'') is a professional football club based in Kaunas
Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states b ...
.
Changes from 2015
The league reduced its number of teams from ten sides down to eight. As a consequence, each team will play every other four times, twice at home and twice away with the top six then playing an additional round against each other.
Clubs and locations
The following teams are competing in the 2016 championship:
Stadium location
Personnel and kits
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Regular season
Table
Results
Championship round
Top six will play each other once.
Table
Results
Relegation play-offs
The 7th placed team will face the runners-up of the
2016 LFF I Lyga
2016 LFF I Lyga is a Lithuanian second-tier football league season which started on 25 March 2016 and will finish in 6 November 2016. It consists of 16 teams.
Teams
Stadiums, personnel and sponsorship
League table
Attendance
References ...
for a two-legged play-off. The winner on
aggregate score after both matches will earn entry into the 2017 A Lyga.
First leg
Second leg
''3–3 on aggregate. Utenis won on away goals.''
Season statistics
Top scorers
Hat-tricks
Attendance
— Official attendance statistic for the play-off matches wasn't publicly released.
Awards
Yearly awards
Awards were presented at the LFF Awards ceremony, which was held on November 28. Finalists for voted awards were announced after the season and winners were presented at the award ceremony.
Quarterly awards
"Golden Heart" initiative
From 2016 season
A lyga
The A Lyga is the top division of professional football in Lithuania. It is organized by Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF) ().
History
The first football league was established in Lithuania in 1924, and in various forms existed until 1939. ...
together with
Lithuanian Football Federation
The Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF; ) is the governing body of football in Lithuania. The Federation is responsible for football development in the country and for the national teams, including the Lithuania national football team. It is bas ...
decided to expand project "Bring you hearts to the stadium" and honor players who played 10 or more times for the
Lithuania national team with golden heart on their shirts.
In 2016 season these players have had this evaluation:
*
FK Žalgiris
Futbolo klubas Žalgiris, commonly known as FK Žalgiris, Žalgiris Vilnius or simply Žalgiris, is a Lithuanian professional association football, football club based in Vilnius. The club competes in the A Lyga, the top flight of Football in L ...
—
Egidijus Vaitkūnas
Egidijus Vaitkūnas (born 8 August 1988) is a Lithuanian footballer who plays for FA Šiauliai and Lithuania national football team as a right back. ,
Saulius Mikoliūnas
Saulius Mikoliūnas (born 2 May 1984) is a Lithuanian former professional footballer who played as a right winger for the Lithuania national team. He has previously played for Scottish Premier League club Heart of Midlothian and Ukrainian Pre ...
,
Linas Pilibaitis
Linas Pilibaitis (born 5 April 1985) is a Lithuanian professional footballer who plays as a attacking midfielder for FK TransINVEST.
Club career
Pilibaitis was born in Kretinga. He joined Kaunas aged 17 in 2002, gradually working his way into ...
,
Marius Žaliūkas
Marius Žaliūkas (10 November 198331 October 2020) was a Lithuanian professional footballer who played primarily as a centre back, but also played as a defensive midfielder.
Žaliūkas played in his homeland for Inkaras Kaunas, FBK Kaunas an ...
,
Vytautas Lukša
Vytautas Lukša (born 14 August 1984) is a Lithuanian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Honours
FBK Kaunas
* Lithuanian Cup: 2007–08
Ekranas
* A Lyga: 2013
Žalgiris
* A Lyga: 2015, 2016
* Lithuanian Cup: 2014–1 ...
,
Mantas Kuklys
Mantas Kuklys (born 10 June 1987) is a Lithuanian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in ...
,
Simonas Stankevičius
Simonas Stankevičius (born 3 October 1995) is a Lithuanian retired international association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), striker.
Early and personal life
Stankevičius was raised in Panevėžys. His mot ...
*
FK Trakai
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. The team won the 2024 I Lyga and ear ...
—
Deividas Česnauskis
Deividas Česnauskis (born 30 June 1981) is a Lithuanian former professional footballer who played as a winger. He made 63 FIFA-official appearances for the Lithuanian national team scoring four goals.
Club career
Early career
Česnauskis was ...
,
Arūnas Klimavičius
Arūnas Klimavičius (born 5 October 1982 in Panevėžys) is a Lithuanian former professional footballer and chairman of the Lithuanian Professional Footballers' Association.
Career
On 17 February, it was revealed on the Hearts website that he w ...
,
Tadas Labukas,
Nerijus Valskis
Nerijus Valskis (born 4 August 1987) is a Lithuanian former professional footballer who played as a forward.
Club career Earlier career
Valskis began his senior club career in 2005 at FK Žalgiris of Lithuanian A Lyga, where he made 11 appeara ...
*
FK Kauno Žalgiris
Futbolo klubas Kauno Žalgiris (''Football club Kauno Žalgiris'') is a professional football club based in Kaunas
Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states b ...
—
Andrius Velička
Andrius Velička (born 5 April 1979) is a Lithuanian retired professional association footballer who played as a striker for clubs in Russia, Kazakhstan, Scotland, England, Norway and Azerbaijan in addition to his homeland. He also played for t ...
,
Ignas Dedura
Ignas Dedura (born 6 January 1978) is a Lithuanian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.
Club career
Dedura began his career at FBK Kaunas in 1997, scoring 13 goals in 105 appearances, before moving to Russia in 2001 where ...
,
Audrius Kšanavičius
Audrius Kšanavičius (born 28 January 1977) is a footballer who plays for FBK Kaunas as a midfielder.
Career
A left winger, Kšanavičius began his career with FBK Kaunas in 1994, making over 150 appearances before moving to Latvian champions S ...
*
FK Sūduva
FK Sūduva is a Lithuanian professional Association football, football club based in the city of Marijampolė. Founded in 1968, the club competes in the A Lyga, the top flight of Football in Lithuania, Lithuanian football.
The club has been pla ...
—
Tomas Radzinevičius,
Vaidas Slavickas
Vaidas Slavickas (born 26 February 1986) is a Lithuanian professional football coach and a former player who is an assistant coach for Sūduva.
Honours
Club
;Sūduva Marijampolė
* Lithuanian Championship: 2017, 2018
*Lithuanian Cup: 2006, 20 ...
,
*
FK Atlantas
FK Atlantas was a Lithuanian professional football club based in the port city of Klaipėda.
The club's name has changed several times. It was established in 1962 as ''Granitas'', and became ''PSK Aras'' in 1993. Since 1996, when FK Sirijus Kl ...
—
Andrius Jokšas
*
FK Lietava —
Valdemaras Borovskis
*
FK Utenis —
Pavelas Leusas
Team of the Week
References
— The match between
FK Žalgiris
Futbolo klubas Žalgiris, commonly known as FK Žalgiris, Žalgiris Vilnius or simply Žalgiris, is a Lithuanian professional association football, football club based in Vilnius. The club competes in the A Lyga, the top flight of Football in L ...
and
FK Sūduva Marijampolė FK or fk may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Flyer Killer, fictional automated robots in the ''Terminator'' film franchise
* Fox Kids, a former American children's television programming block
* Funky Kong, a video game character
Place
* F ...
was postponed due to the
Champions League qualification match happening that week, so neither club's players were considered for the award.
{{2016 in Lithuanian football
LFF Lyga seasons
1
Lithuania
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
Lithuania
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...