2017 A Lyga


The 2017 A Lyga was the 28th season of the A Lyga, the top-tier association football league of Lithuania. The season began on 3 March 2017 and ended on 19 November 2017.
All eight teams from the previous season remained and competed in the league, while Žalgiris Vilnius began the season as defending champions having won fourth consecutive league title last year.
Sūduva Marijampolė won the championship for the first time in their 96-year history, becoming the eighth club to win the league since its creation in 1991.

Teams

A total of eight teams should have contested the league, including six sides from the previous season, one promoted from the 2016 LFF I Lyga and the winners of the 2016 A Lyga Relegation play-offs.
Utenis managed to withstand against I Lyga runners-up Palanga in the play-offs and for the 3rd consecutive season continued to play in the A Lyga.
2015 LFF I Lyga champions FK Lietava changed they name to FK Jonava after received permission from Lithuanian Football Federation.
Kauno Žalgiris were relegated at the end of 2016 season and replaced by 2016 LFF I Lyga champions Šilas. It was going to be a debut in the top tier for Kazlų Rūda team.
Before the beginning of the season, newcomers Šilas were accused of match-fixing during a 2017 Virsligas Winter Cup match with FS METTA. Soon after Lithuanian Football Federation started an investigation to determine validity of these claims. At the time all club trainings and friendly matches were revoked. On 24 February, club chairman Audrius Raškauskas announced, that players received a permission to look for the new clubs while Šilas most probably will withdrew from the league into lower divisions of Lithuanian football.
On 24 February 2017 Lithuanian Football Federation announced that Šilas withdrew from the league and will be replaced by last year participants Kauno Žalgiris, who were only non-participating team, which received a valid license for A Lyga.

Clubs and locations

The following teams were competing in the 2017 championship:
ClubLocationStadiumTurfCapacity2016 position
KlaipėdaCentral Stadium of KlaipėdaNatural4,4284th
KlaipėdaKlaipėda Artificial Football PitchArtificial1,0004th
JonavaCentral Stadium of JonavaNatural1,0086th
JonavaJonava Artificial Football PitchArtificial5586th
KaunasDarius and Girėnas StadiumNatural9,1808th
KaunasNFA StadiumArtificial5008th
KaunasDarius and Girėnas StadiumNatural9,1805th
KaunasNFA StadiumArtificial5005th
MarijampolėARVI Football ArenaNatural6,2503rd
MarijampolėARVI Football Indoor ArenaArtificial2,6603rd
VilniusLFF StadiumArtificial5,0672nd
VilniusSportima ArenaArtificial3,1572nd
UtenaUtenis StadiumNatural3,0737th
VisaginasVisaginas Artificial Football PitchArtificial2127th
VilniusLFF StadiumArtificial5,0671st
VilniusSportima ArenaArtificial3,1571st

Personnel and kits

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
TeamHead coachCaptainKit manufacturerShirt sponsor
Atlantas Igoris Pankratjevas Andrius BartkusPuma
Jonava Mindaugas Čepas Tadas EliošiusAdidas
Kauno Žalgiris Johnny McKinstry Ignas DeduraHummelBC Žalgiris
Stumbras Mariano Barreto Klaidas JanonisHummelIbumetin
Sūduva Vladimir Cheburin Algis JankauskasJomaSumeda
Trakai Oleg Vasilenko Deividas ČesnauskisNikeEcoil
Utenis David Campaña Piquer Aurimas Tručinskas
Guille Smitarello
AdidasBaltijos polistirenas
Žalgiris Aleksandr Brazevich Egidijus VaitkūnasNikeTOP Sport

Managerial changes

Regular season

Standings

Results

First half of season

Second half of season

Championship round

Standings

Results

Relegation play-offs

The 7th placed team faced the runners-up of the 2017 LFF I Lyga for a two-legged play-off. The winner on aggregate score after both matches earned entry into the 2018 A Lyga.

First leg

Second leg

Stumbras won 5–1 on aggregate.

Positions by round

The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. In order to preserve chronological progress, any postponed matches are not included in the round at which they were originally scheduled, but added to the full round they were played immediately afterwards. For example, if a match is scheduled for matchday 13, but then postponed and played between days 16 and 17, it will be added to the standings for day 16.
Leader – Qualification to Champions League first qualifying round
Qualification to Europa League first qualifying round
Qualification to Europa League preliminary qualifying round
Qualification to [|relegation play-offs]
Relegation to 2018 I Lyga

Team \ Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233
Team \ Round
Sūduva413422332222222333333333322111111
Žalgiris141111111111111111111111111222222
Trakai224654444443333222222222233333333
Jonava366346667676566666666777766664444
Atlantas752233223334444444444445444445555
Utenis535565555555655555555554555556666
Stumbras8887777767677777777776666777
Kauno Žalgiris5778888888888888888888888888

Updated to games played on 15 November 2017

Season statistics

Top scorers

Updated to games played on 19 November 2017

Hat-tricks

Attendance

— Official attendance statistic from one of the Kauno Žalgiris matches was not publicly released.

Awards

Yearly awards

Awards were presented at the LFF Awards ceremony, which was held on December 4. Finalists for voted awards were announced after the season and winners were presented at the award ceremony.
AwardRecipient
Player of the YearKarolis Laukžemis
Young Player of the YearOscar Dorley
Manager of the YearVladimir Cheburin
Golden BootDarvydas Šernas

Quarterly awards

"Golden Heart" initiative

From 2016 season A lyga together with Lithuanian Football Federation 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 2017 season following players have had this evaluation:
Furthermore, Karolis Chvedukas was eligible to receive his "Heart" during the season, as he met qualification criterios.