Olimpija Rīga

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Olimpija Rīga was a Latvian football club that played in the Latvian Virslīga from 1992 to 1995.

[edit] History

The club was founded in 1992 as Kompar-Daugava (using the name of formerly glorious FK Daugava in addition to the sponsors name of the new club). In its debut season in Virslīga it finished in the 5th place in the league. Jurijs Hudjakovs was the best goalscorer of the club, Dzintars Sproģis was selected the best defender in the Latvian league. Kompar-Daugava also reached the Latvian Cup final.

In 1993 the club was renamed to Olimpija Rīga - after the Riga Olimpija bank which financed it. The new government brought serious money to the club which now had one of the best squads in Latvia. In 1993 Olimpija won the silver medals of Virslīga behind Skonto FC. Goalkeeper Ēriks Grigjans and midfield Andrejs Štolcers were nominated the best in the league in their respective positions.

For the 1994 season Olimpija acquired Latvia national football team goalkeeper Oļegs Karavajevs. In the league it finished in the fourth place, but it won the Latvian Cup. In 1995 most of its best players left the club as the bank that sponsored the club was on its way to bankruptcy. In the league they finished 9th from ten teams and after the season the club became defunct.

In its management over the few seasons of the clubs existence worked several of the most noted football managers in Latvia including Jānis Skredelis, Aleksandrs Starkovs and Vladimirs Žuks.