The 2019 LFF I Lyga was the 30th season of the

I Lyga The LFF Pirma Lyga, TOPsport Pirma Lyga, or Pirma Lyga, is the second tier of professional Lithuanian football championship. Format Organized by the Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF), I Lyga is contested by 16 teams, with the top team gain ...

, the second 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 22 March 2019 and finished in 27 October 2019.

Licensing process

The

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 ...

initially granted applications for 2019 LFF I Lyga licenses:

FK Banga Gargždai FK Banga Gargždai is a Lithuanian professional association football, football club from the city of Gargždai. History FK Banga was founded in 1966. During the period from 1966 to 1990, the club was in the Soviet Lithuanian football champion ...

FK Nevėžis FK Nevėžis is a professional association football, football club from the city of Kėdainiai, Lithuania. Achievements *Three times Lithuanian champion (1966, 1972, 1973). *Twice runner-up (1968, 1969). *Three times won Bronze medals (1967, ...

, FC Pakruojis, FC Džiugas, Žalgiris B, Stumbras B, Riteriai B (Trakai B). After the appeal, on 28 February 2019

granted licenses to FK Vilnius ( Baltijos Futbolo Akademija), FK Minija Kretinga, DFK Dainava, Vilniaus Vytis, FK Atmosfera (2012), FC Hegelmann Litauen. The final decision on the number of teams in 2019 LFF I Lyga was made by the

executive committee meeting on 15 March 2019. Exceptions were applied to FK Jonava (financial criteria were not met), FC Kupiškis (sporting criteria were not met) and FA Šiauliai (legal criteria were not met) and the teams were allowed to start in the 2019 LFF I Lyga championship, pending criteria to be met by June. The 16 team championship started on 22 March 2019. The applications for the 2019 LFF I Lyga licenses were also received from FK Sveikata Kybartai, FM Ateitis and FK NFA but licenses were not granted. FK Utenis Utena shareholders voted to withdraw from participation in 2019 LFF I Lyga, and the club will participate in 2019 LFF II Lyga. FK Koralas Klaipėda was dissolved in 2018.

Participants

Final standings

After FC Stumbras ran into financial difficulties in June the Lithuania Football Federation made a decision to withdraw their license from

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 Stumbras B from I lyga. FC Džiugas Telšiai earned promotion to

, subject to meeting licensing criteria.

earned a play-off with

7th placed FK Palanga.

Top scorers

References

{{2019 in Lithuanian football I Lyga seasons 2019 in Lithuanian football Lith Lith