Latvian Higher League


Latvian Higher League


Latvian Higher League or Virslīga, known for sponsorship reasons as TonyBet Virslīga since 2024, is a professional football league and the top tier of association football in Latvia. Organised by the Latvian Football Federation, the Higher League is contested by 10 clubs.

History and league format

History

The first all-national Latvian championship, which succeeded the Riga Football League and other regional leagues, was organized in 1927, which lasted until the Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940. After World War II, between 1945 and 1991 the championship of Soviet Latvia was the main footballing competition in the Latvian SSR.

With Latvia regaining full independence in August 1991, the newly established Latvian Football Federation (LFF) decided to reorganise its competitions within the Virslīga from 1992. The same year Latvia returned to FIFA and became a member of UEFA.

Format

Latvian Higher League is being played usually from early March till November. Although the team count in the league has changed multiple times (10 in 2007 and 2020, 9 in 2019 and 2021, and 8 in 2015-2018), since 2022, total of 10 teams are participating in the Virslīga. Each side are playing 36 games during the season, with 18 games being played at home and other 18 - away.

At the end of each season, the lowest placed team in the league gets automatically relegated to the Optibet Nākotnes Līga, with Nākotnes Līga winner replacing them, while the second lowest placed team gets to play in a 2 leg relegation playoff (Pārspēles) against the runner-up of the Nākotnes Līga, for the last spot in the league. The winner of Virslīga qualifies for the UEFA Champions League first qualification round, while runners-up and 3rd place teams qualify for the UEFA Conference League first qualification round.

A winter off-season league cup, the Virslīga Winter Cup, was played in January of each year from 2013 to 2017, which was replaced in 2018 by the Virslīga Cup (Latvian: Virslīgas kausa izcīņa). However since 2024, a revamped off-season tournament, Livonia Cup, is being played from January till February, with teams from Latvia's and Estonia's leagues taking part.

Sponsorships and name changes

The League has changed sponsors for several times. From 2006 until 2010 it was known as the LMT Virslīga. No sponsorships were established for the 2011 season. Starting from the 2012 season, the league was reorganised in partnership with an NGO as "Latvijas Futbola virslīga", adopting the NGO's name in the 2012 season. From 2013 to 2015, the league was known as the SMScredit.lv Virslīga due to a contract with the online microfinance company SMScredit. In March 2016, it was announced that the Virslīga would be sponsored by SynotTip Sports Bar on a three-year contract. They were succeeded by betting firm Optibet on a two-year contract, beginning with the Optibet Virslīga 2019 season, which lasted until 2024. In 2024 Optibet was replaced by TonyBet.

Clubs (2024)

Titles by year

Source:

Riga Football League

Latvian Championship 1922–1940 (independent)

Football Championship of Latvian SSR 1942–1990

Since independence in 1991

Topscorers (1992–present)

Giuseppe Zanotti Luxury Sneakers

Notable managers and players

Most titles

This is a list of clubs, in order of most titles won in championships in independent Latvia (1922–1940 and 1991 to date). Teams in bold are part of 2020 Virslīga.

By club

Transfers Virslīga

Transfers from Virslīga

Transfers to Virslīga

Rivalries

The most well-known rivalry is the Kurzeme derby (Kurzemes derbijs) between Ventspils and Liepāja. The two biggest clubs in Kurzeme have played 86 matches between themselves with a record of 31–28–27 (including Metalurgs) in favor of Liepāja prior to the 2019 Virslīga.

Since 2016, the Riga Derby (Rīgas derbijs) was started between Riga FC and Rīgas FS as two clubs were promoted at the same time. A 2019 match in Skonto Stadium between the two sides broke a ten-year attendance record.

Virslīga clubs in international competitions

UEFA competitions

Ventspils was the Latvian first club who qualified for the group stage of a UEFA club competition, reaching the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League group stage.

Skonto reached the UEFA Champions League last qualifying stage for a number of times in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but lost to such teams like Barcelona in 1997, Inter Milan in 1998 and Chelsea in 1999.

Most recently, RFS qualified for the 2022-23 UEFA Europa Conference League group stage, finishing in fourth place with 2 points.

Commonwealth of Independent States Cup

  • Skonto
    • Runners-up (3): 2001, 2003, 2004.
  • Ventspils
    • Runners-up (1): 2007.

Baltic League

  • Metalurgs
    • Champions (1): 2007.
  • Ventspils
    • Champions (1): 2010.
    • Runners-up (2): 2007, 2011.
  • Skonto
    • Champions (1): 2011.
    • Runners-up (1): 2008.

References

External links

  • https://www.futbolavirsliga.tv Association Virsliga in Latvia
  • Current Virsliga table at eurorivals
  • Virsliga fixtures, including kick off times, at worldfootball.net
  • Topscorers at RSSSF



Text submitted to CC-BY-SA license. Source: Latvian Higher League by Wikipedia (Historical)



 

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