Baltic League
The Baltic League (German: Baltic League ), the official name TrioBet Baltic League is a football tournament for club teams Baltic, which will be held regularly since 2007 with varying mode. The five best teams from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as well as the defending champions taking part. The tournament is organized by the Baltic League Committee. Previously it was in 1990, then still in its pure form League, and 1993/94 to sweeps.
History
In 1990 there was the first hosting of the Baltic League. This was attended by two teams from Estonia, six teams from Latvia, nine teams from Lithuania and a team from Russia. It was played in pure form league with return game, so initially every team should undertake 34 games. Due to the withdrawal of a team from the running game operation, however, most teams wore only 33 games out of three teams even only 32
1993/94 it came to the second edition of the competition. In addition to each of a team from Estonia and Russia took part in two Latvian Lithuanian and three teams. For the first time was a white Russian team. The eight participants were divided into two groups, each with four teams which the participants playing off a home-and -away basis for the semi-finals, for which the group first and second qualified. The semi-finals and the subsequent finals were decided in a single game.
2007 Baltic League was re-established. It participated in both of the top four teams of the Estonian Meistriliiga, Latvian and Lithuanian A Lyga Virsliga. The tournament was divided into a group stage and a knockout stage.
The twelve participating clubs were drawn into four groups. Three groups were composed of one first place winners, one second place and one fourth place of the leagues. In the fourth group, the three third-placed teams from the respective leagues played. In the group stage, everyone plays against everyone in return game.
The four winners and four runners-up phase of this group made it to the quarter-finals. The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final following the final were played in a knock - mode return game. As in the UEFA Cup decided the away goals rule in Torgleichheit. 2008, the final was decided only in a single game.
For the 2009/10 season there were fundamental changes. The group stage was abolished and from every country now qualified the best five teams, in addition donated the land to the Defender a subscriber.
The UEFA Executive Committee approved at a meeting on 1 and 2 July 2009, the continuation of the contest until the season 2011/12.
Current mode
On the Baltic League, the five top-ranked teams in the Estonian Meistriliiga, Latvian and Lithuanian A Lyga Virsliga participate, the land of the Defender provides a new participant. The tournament will be played in a pure knockout system with return game. As in the UEFA Cup decides at Torgleichheit the away goals rule, the final final is decided by a single game.
Reporting
In the 2008 season, the first time the semi-finals on television and the Internet were broadcast live. The Latvian transmitter LTV7 transferred the return match between Skonto Riga and FK Riga, the Lithuanian station Sport 1 showed the first meeting between FBK Kaunas and FK Ventspils. Under eSports.lv the other two games were broadcast on the Internet. This resulted in the first shown the internet game to an interruption of transmission, with the game in retrospect as the recording was available .. For 2009, these new media alignment was maintained.