The A Lyga is the top division of professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

in Lithuania. The A Lyga is an abbreviation of Aukščiausia lyga meaning Highest League. It is organized by

Lithuanian Football Federation The Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF) ( lt, Lietuvos futbolo federacija) 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 ...

LFF ( lt, Lietuvos Futbolo Federacija). The Aukščiausia lyga also existed during the Soviet period of Lithuania, but was not considered to be a professional league until

dissolution of the Soviet Union The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...

. The league size has varied between 8 and 12 teams in the recent seasons, however 2020 A Lyga the league featured record low of only 6 teams. But in the latest 2021 A Lyga season there were 10 teams. The final list of participants often does not correlate to the final results of the previous season, as the participation is finalized through the Lithuanian Football Federation league licensing process. The season usually kicks off in late February or early March and ends in November. Because of the harsh climate, there are no games in the winter. Due to political reasons, in 1991

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), 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. Lithuania ...

was banned by UEFA from continental competitions refusing licensing of Žalgiris to compete as a Lithuanian club rather than a Soviet club. Lithuania became affiliated with

UEFA Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...

in 1992. The A Lyga champion secures the right to play in

UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...

first qualifying round. The runner up and the 3rd-place winner secure right to play in

UEFA Europa Conference League The UEFA Europa Conference League (abbreviated as UECL) is an annual football club competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. Clubs qualify for the competition based on their ...

starting in first qualifying round.

A lyga The A Lyga is the top division of professional football in Lithuania. The A Lyga is an abbreviation of Aukščiausia lyga meaning Highest League. It is organized by Lithuanian Football Federation LFF ( lt, Lietuvos Futbolo Federacija). The Auk� ...

team is yet to play in the group stage of either competition. At the end of 2021, the best performing club in Europe is

FK Sūduva FK Sūduva is a Lithuanian professional football club based in the city of Marijampolė. Founded in 1968, the club competes in the A Lyga, the top flight of Lithuanian football. The club has been playing in the A Lyga since 2002. In 2006, ...

, taking #124 in UEFA Club Coefficients table.

Clubs

Ten clubs are competing in the 2021 season. The bottom placed team will be relegated, 9th placed team will contest in a play-off with the 2nd placed team from I lyga. ^a Founding member of the A Lyga
^b Never been relegated from the A Lyga
^c Two former clubs, named FK Dainava have participated in A lyga in 2001, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

Format

The season kicks off in early spring, and finishes in late autumn. Due to harsh weather, no games are played in winter. The teams play 4 rounds in regular season. In some of the past seasons top teams would have played one more championship round after that. The last placed team is relegated, and the team immediately above them contests a play-off match with the 2nd placed team in

I Lyga The I Lyga, LFF I Lyga, Pirma Lyga, is the second tier of professional Lithuanian football championship. Format Organized by the Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF), I Lyga is contested by 14-16 teams, with the top team gaining promotion to ...

for a spot in the next year's

. In recent years, the list of participants often did not correlate to the final results of the previous season due to failures to meet

licensing criteria. Participation is finalised through the Lithuanian Football Federation league licensing process.

Sponsorship

As well as sponsorship for the league itself, the A Lyga has a number of official partners and suppliers. The official ball supplier for the league is

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...

who have had the contract since the 2013 season when they took over from

Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufactur ...

History

Interbellum and WWII

After Lithuania gained independence in 1918, the first ever football tournament was held in 1922.

Seasons

Note: In 1924–1930, 1935, 1942, 1942–1943 and 1945 seasons there was no unified league and winners were decided using either a play–off format or a single game between winners of separate divisions.

Performance by club

All champions from this period are defunct.

Post-War period and the Lithuanian SSR Championship

During the Lithuania's Soviet occupation, each soviet republic ran their separate football championship. The clubs could either participate in the competition of the soviet republic, or in the Soviet Union football league system.

Seasons

Note: The biggest and most notable clubs, such as Žalgiris Vilnius played in Soviet Union's Football

Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...

instead of Lithuanian SSR Divisions.

Performance by club

Clubs currently playing in A Lyga are written in Bold.
^† - Defunct clubs.

Regained Independence and the A Lyga - present

As Lithuania regained the independence in 1991, the

(LFF) was re-established, and A Lyga was shaped same year. The Soviet football divisions dissolved, and the teams that participated in them returned to the Lithuania's national championship.

List of champions (1991–)

Seasons

Performance by club

Clubs currently playing in A Lyga are highlighted in Bold.
^† - Defunct clubs.

Spectators

The average number of spectators per match remains very low in recent years.

References

External links

Official website

Futbolo.TV
- A lyga streaming and video center

- List of Champions
Lithuanian Football: History & Statistics by Almis
- Championship statistics {{UEFA leagues LFF Lyga 1

Summer association football leagues Professional sports leagues in Lithuania