Latvian Higher League

Latvian Higher League

LMT Virslīga
Countries  Latvia
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Founded 1927
Number of teams 9
Levels on pyramid 1
Relegation to Latvian First League
Domestic cup(s) Latvian Cup
International cup(s) Champions League
Europa League
Current champions FK Ventspils
(2011)
Most championships Skonto (14)
Website www.lff.lv
2011 Latvian Higher League

The Latvian Higher League (Latvian: Virslīga) is the top tier of association football in Latvia and is organised by the Latvian Football Federation. The new season kicks off in April of every year, and runs until early November. There are no games in winter because of the harsh climate. Since 2006 the Latvian Higher League is sponsored by Latvijas Mobilais Telefons and officially called LMT Virslīga. Some of the matches of the Virslīga are transmitted by the Latvian TV channel LTV7 and almost every match is broadcasted live on the Internet site www.sportacentrs.com.

Contents

League format

Up to and including the 2007 season, there were eight clubs in the Virslīga. During the course of the season each club played all the other clubs four times, twice at their home stadium and twice at that of their opponents, completing a total of 28 games.

However, for the 2008 season the league expanded to ten clubs, and the fixture format changed. To expand to ten clubs there was no relegation at the end of the 2007 season, and the top two clubs from the 1. līga 2007 season, champions FK Vindava from Ventspils, and second placed SK Blāzma from Rēzekne were both promoted. A two stage process took place with all ten clubs playing each other twice home and away. The league then split with the top six clubs playing each other home and away in a championship stage for a total of 28 games in the season, while the bottom four clubs played each other twice in a relegation stage for a total of 24 games. This format was abandoned after the 2008 season.

In 2009 the league was played in four rounds with nine clubs. Each clubs played the others four times, twice at their home stadium and twice at that of their opponents. With the withdrawal of one club, FK Vindava, a total of 32 games were played. For the 2010 season, each club played the other nine clubs three times, for a total of 27 games.

At the end of the season, the lowest placed team are automatically relegated into Traffic 1. liga, and the winner of the Traffic 1. liga automatically takes their place. The second lowest placed team in Virslīga and the second team of 1. liga play two matches for a place in the Virslīga the following season. The winner of LMT Virslīga, the champion of Latvia, plays in the UEFA Champions League qualifying round. The second and third placed clubs play in the UEFA Cup qualifying games.[1]

Clubs (2012)

Location of teams in the 2011 Latvian Higher League
Club Location Stadium Capacity Current manager
FB Gulbene-2005 Gulbene Gulbenes Sporta Centrs 1,500 Mihails Koņevs
FC Daugava Daugavpils Daugava Stadium 3,500 Leonid Nazarenko
FC Jūrmala Jūrmala Slokas Stadium 5,000 Igors Stepanovs
FK Jelgava Jelgava Zemgales Olimpiskais Sporta Centrs 1,560 Dainis Kazakevičs
FK Jūrmala-VV Jūrmala Slokas Stadium 5,000 Jurijs Popkovs
FK Ventspils Ventspils Olimpiskais Stadium 3,200 Sergey Podpaly
Spartaks Jūrmala Slokas Pilsētas Stadium 4,000 N/A
Metalurgs Liepāja Daugava Stadium 5,500 Vladimirs Osipovs
Skonto FC Riga Skonto Stadium 10,000 Marians Pahars

Past Virslīga winners

Season Winner Total wins* Remarks Runner-up
1927 Olimpija Liepāja 1 (1)   Rīgas FK
1928 Olimpija Liepāja 2 (2)   Rīgas FK
1929 Olimpija Liepāja 3 (3) Undefeated in the league Rīgas FK
1930 Rīgas FK 1 (4)   Olimpija Liepāja
1931 Rīgas FK 2 (5)   Olimpija Liepāja
1932 ASK 1 (1)   Riga Wanderers
1933 Olimpija Liepāja 4 (4)   Rīgas FK
1934 Rīgas FK 3 (6)   Riga Wanderers
1935 Rīgas FK 4 (7)   Olimpija Liepāja
1936 Olimpija Liepāja 5 (5) Undefeated in the league ASK
1937-39 Olimpija Liepāja 6 (6)   Rīgas FK
1938-39 Olimpija Liepāja 7 (7)   ASK
1939-40 Rīgas FK 5 (8) Also won the Latvian Cup Olimpija Liepāja
1941 - - Tournament interrupted due to German invasion -
1942 ASK 2 (2) Undefeated in the league Olimpija Liepāja
1943 ASK 3 (3) Undefeated in the league,
also won the Latvian Cup
Olimpija Liepāja
1944 - - Tournament interrupted due to Soviet invasion -
1992 Skonto FC 1 (2) Also won the Latvian Cup RAF Jelgava
1993 Skonto FC 2 (3)   Olimpija Rīga
1994 Skonto FC 3 (4) Undefeated in the league RAF Jelgava
1995 Skonto FC 4 (5) Undefeated in the league,
also won the Latvian Cup
Dinaburg FC
1996 Skonto FC 5 (6)   Daugava Rīga
1997 Skonto FC 6 (7) Undefeated in the league,
also won the Latvian Cup
Daugava Rīga
1998 Skonto FC 7 (8) Also won the Latvian Cup FHK Liepājas Metalurgs
1999 Skonto FC 8 (9)   FHK Liepājas Metalurgs
2000 Skonto FC 9 (10) Also won the Latvian Cup FK Ventspils
2001 Skonto FC 10 (11) Also won the Latvian Cup FK Ventspils
2002 Skonto FC 11 (12) Also won the Latvian Cup FK Ventspils
2003 Skonto FC 12 (13)   FHK Liepājas Metalurgs
2004 Skonto FC 13 (14)   FHK Liepājas Metalurgs
2005 FHK Liepājas Metalurgs 1 (1)   Skonto FC
2006 FK Ventspils 1 (1)   FHK Liepājas Metalurgs
2007 FK Ventspils 2 (2) Also won the Latvian Cup SK Liepājas Metalurgs
2008 FK Ventspils 3 (3)   SK Liepājas Metalurgs
2009 SK Liepājas Metalurgs 2 (2) FK Ventspils
2010 Skonto FC 14 (15) FK Ventspils
2011 FK Ventspils 4 (4) Also won the Latvian Cup FK Liepājas Metalurgs
* Virslīga championships (total Latvian football championships)
Up to 1927, the winners of the First Division of the Football League were the Latvian football champions.
From 1945 till 1991, the winners of the First Division of the Football League were the Latvian SSR football champions.

Top scorers

Season Name Team Goals
1992 Vjačeslavs Ževnerovičs BK VEF Rīga 19
1993 Aleksandrs Jelisejevs Skonto FC 20
1994 Vladimirs Babičevs Skonto FC 14
1995 Vitālijs Astafjevs Skonto FC 19
1996 Mihails Miholaps FK Daugava Rīga 33
1997 David Chaladze Skonto FC 25
1998 Viktors Dobrecovs FK Liepājas Metalurgs 23
1999 Viktors Dobrecovs FK Liepājas Metalurgs 22
2000 Vladimirs Koļesņičenko Skonto FC 17
2001 Mihails Miholaps Skonto FC 24
2002 Mihails Miholaps Skonto FC 23
2003 Viktors Dobrecovs FK Liepājas Metalurgs 36
2004 Aleksandr Katasonov FK Liepājas Metalurgs 21
2005 Viktors Dobrecovs
Igors Sļesarčuks
FK Liepājas Metalurgs
FK Venta / FK Ventspils
18
2006 Mihails Miholaps Skonto FC 15
2007 Vīts Rimkus FK Ventspils 20
2008 Vīts Rimkus FK Ventspils 14
2009 Kristaps Grebis FK Liepājas Metalurgs 30
2010 Deniss Rakels
Nathan Júnior
FK Liepājas Metalurgs
Skonto FC
18
2011 Nathan Júnior Skonto FC 22

Riga football league winners

  • 1913 British FC Riga
  • 1914 British FC Riga
  • 1915 British FC Riga

Champions of Latvia before Virslīga

Latvian SSR champions

References

External links