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

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 ...

—

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

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