FHK Liepajas Metalurgs
Encyclopedia
FK Liepājas Metalurgs is a Latvia
n football club, based in the city of Liepāja
and playing in the Virslīga
. They play at the Daugava Stadium
(capacity 5,008). In 2005 Liepajas Metalurgs became the first team other than Skonto FC
of Riga
to win the Virslīga
since the league restarted in 1991.
, FK Liepājas Metalurgs, got their name from the city's metallurgical
factory, founded in 1882, the only one of its kind in the Baltic States
.
The history of the club can be traced back to 1945 when two football clubs were founded in Liepāja – Daugava Liepāja and Dinamo Liepāja.
defender Kārlis Tīls
and with one of the best former Olimpija players Ernests Ziņģis in attack the team won its first Latvian title. Both Valdis Pultraks
and Voldemārs Sudmalis
were in the squad. Daugava again won the title again in 1947 and the squad included Miervaldis Drāznieks
who went on to score 160 goals in the Latvian league. Daugava Liepāja also won the Latvian Cup
in 1946 and 1947.
Dinamo Liepāja did not play in the Latvian top league. However in 1948 Dinamo won the Latvian Cup with future Liepāja player Žanis Zviedris in the team.
the second tier in Soviet football. In the Latvian league the Metalurgs team was made up of mostly the reserve squad. In 1956 Daugava did not include the Metalurgs name in the Soviet League. In 1960 Sarkanais Metalurgs were given a place in the Soviet league and continued playing in the league under various names until 1990. In 1961 the club played as LMR Liepāja
.
came to play for Zvejnieks. In the 1960s, defender Mārtiņš Lube was the club's captain. Jurijs Romaņenkovs who went on to become the club's coach in 1989–90 played for Zvejnieks in the 1970s.
In the 1980s Vladimirs Žuks coached Zvejnieks and several bright players emerged with the club including Jānis Intenbergs
, Ilmārs Verpakovskis, Vladimirs Babičevs
and Ainārs Linards. A number of Daugava Rīga players also played for Zvejnieks including Raimonds Laizāns
and Dainis Deglis
.
.
As Olimpija the club played in the Soviet league in 1990, but in 1991, after Latvia regaining its independence, they played only in the Latvian league and finished in the third place. The Olimpija period saw the emergence of Viktors Dobrecovs
at the club. After the breakup of the Soviet Union
the first seasons in the newly independent Latvia were difficult for Olimpija as they got financially weaker from year to year.
. Ainārs Linards returned to the club in 1995. In the Latvian league the club finished 8th out of ten clubs in 1996.
, the son of Ilmārs Verpakovskis and future Latvia national football team
international made his debut for the club. For some time the club was on the brink of bankruptcy and struggled to stop the best players from leaving the club. However, the club got new funding from the local Metallurgy
factory and for the 1997 season at last had a stable budget and ambitious plans again.
as their head coach finished second behind Skonto in the Latvian Virslīga and each season up to 2004 Metalurgs finished second in the championship. In the Latvian Cup they also lost three cup finals. In 2005 Metalurgs finally became Virslīga champions and won the first title for Liepāja in an independent Latvia since the 1930s. In 2006 Metalurgs also finally won the Latvian Cup. The next league title came in 2009.
FK Liepāja
DAG Liepāja
FK Liepāja / FK Baltika
FK Liepājas Metalurgs
(captain)
(on loan from FBK Kaunas
)
For recent squad changes see: List of Latvian football transfers winter 2010-2011 and List of Latvian football transfers summer 2011.
and has won the championship in 2010. It will represent Latvia in the 2011–12 UEFA Women's Champions League
. It is the very first time a team from Latvia enters the competition since its creation in 2001–02.
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n football club, based in the city of Liepāja
Liepaja
Liepāja ; ), is a republican city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea directly at 21°E. It is the largest city in the Kurzeme Region of Latvia, the third largest city in Latvia after Riga and Daugavpils and an important ice-free port...
and playing in the Virslīga
Virsliga
-Past Virslīga winners:-Top scorers:-Riga football league winners:* 1910 Union Riga* 1911 British FC Riga* 1912 Union Riga* 1913 British FC Riga* 1914 British FC Riga* 1915 British FC Riga-Champions of Latvia before Virslīga:* 1922 Ķeizarmežs...
. They play at the Daugava Stadium
Daugava Stadium (Liepaja)
Daugava Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Liepāja, Latvia. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of FHK Liepājas Metalurgs. The stadium holds 5,083 people, and hosted the Baltic Cup 1992....
(capacity 5,008). In 2005 Liepajas Metalurgs became the first team other than Skonto FC
Skonto FC
Skonto FC is a Latvian football club, founded in 1991. The club plays at the Skonto Stadium in Riga. Skonto won the Virsliga in the first 14 seasons of the league's existence , and often provides the core of the Latvia national football team...
of Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
to win the Virslīga
Virsliga
-Past Virslīga winners:-Top scorers:-Riga football league winners:* 1910 Union Riga* 1911 British FC Riga* 1912 Union Riga* 1913 British FC Riga* 1914 British FC Riga* 1915 British FC Riga-Champions of Latvia before Virslīga:* 1922 Ķeizarmežs...
since the league restarted in 1991.
History
Based in LiepājaLiepaja
Liepāja ; ), is a republican city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea directly at 21°E. It is the largest city in the Kurzeme Region of Latvia, the third largest city in Latvia after Riga and Daugavpils and an important ice-free port...
, FK Liepājas Metalurgs, got their name from the city's metallurgical
Metallurgy
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys. It is also the technology of metals: the way in which science is applied to their practical use...
factory, founded in 1882, the only one of its kind in the Baltic States
Baltic states
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
.
The history of the club can be traced back to 1945 when two football clubs were founded in Liepāja – Daugava Liepāja and Dinamo Liepāja.
Daugava Liepāja and Dinamo Liepāja: 1945–1947
In its debut season Daugava Liepāja were runners-up in the Latvian league behind the champions FK Dinamo Rīga. In 1946 Daugava were coached by former Olimpija LiepājaOlimpija Liepaja
Olimpija Liepāja was Latvian football club that in the 1920-1930s was one of the strongest in Latvia and with which played many Latvia national football team footballers. It was from the city of Liepāja.-History:...
defender Kārlis Tīls
Karlis Tils
Kārlis Tīls was a Latvian international football defender and football manager, one of the most legendary footballers in the history of Liepāja.-Biography:...
and with one of the best former Olimpija players Ernests Ziņģis in attack the team won its first Latvian title. Both Valdis Pultraks
Valdis Pultraks
Valdis Pultraks was a Latvian football goalkeeper, one of the most known Latvian footballers of the early post-World War II era.At the age of just 14 Pultraks already played for FK Ausma from Auce in the Latvian Cup quarterfinals...
and Voldemārs Sudmalis
Voldemars Sudmalis
Voldemārs Sudmalis was a Latvian football defender, one of the most popular post-war footballers from Liepāja. Sudmalis is considered the most skillful footballer in the history of Liepāja, he had a good speed, tactical strength and he played well with the head.-Biography:Sudmalis started his...
were in the squad. Daugava again won the title again in 1947 and the squad included Miervaldis Drāznieks
Miervaldis Draznieks
Miervaldis Drāznieks was a Latvian footballer, one of the all time best goalscorers in the Latvian league.Almost for the entire his career Drāznieks played in Liepāja scoring 160 goals in the Latvian league. In his first match in the Latvian league in 1947 Drāznieks scored four goals. With Liepājas...
who went on to score 160 goals in the Latvian league. Daugava Liepāja also won the Latvian Cup
Latvian football Cup
The Latvian Football Cup is the main "knockout" cup competition in Latvian football. It started in 1937 replacing the previous knockout tournament – Riga Football Cup.The competition is a knockout tournament....
in 1946 and 1947.
Dinamo Liepāja did not play in the Latvian top league. However in 1948 Dinamo won the Latvian Cup with future Liepāja player Žanis Zviedris in the team.
Sarkanais Metalurgs: 1949–1961
In 1949 Daugava Liepāja and Dinamo Liepāja merged to form Sarkanais Metalurgs which, for the next decade was the strongest club in the Latvian league. In 1949 Sarkanais Metalurgs won both the league and the Latvian Cup. More titles followed in 1951, 1953, 1954, 1956–1958. They also won the Latvian Cup three times in a row from 1953 to 1955. In 1954 after beating Daugava Rīga in a match for the chance to play in the Soviet League a united Daugava-Metalurgs club was formed which included six Metalurgs players. In 1954 they competed in the "USSR Class B 1954, 2nd zone" of the Soviet First LeagueSoviet First League
The Soviet First League was the second highest division of Soviet football, below the Soviet Top League. The division lasted from the inception of Soviet league football in 1936 to the dissolution of the USSR in 1991.-Overview:...
the second tier in Soviet football. In the Latvian league the Metalurgs team was made up of mostly the reserve squad. In 1956 Daugava did not include the Metalurgs name in the Soviet League. In 1960 Sarkanais Metalurgs were given a place in the Soviet league and continued playing in the league under various names until 1990. In 1961 the club played as LMR Liepāja
LMR Liepaja
LMR Liepāja was a Latvian football club that in the early 1960s won the Latvian Cup two years in a row and was then disbanded because of a disciplinary decision.-Club history:...
.
Zvejnieks Liepāja: 1962–1989
In 1962 the club changed owners and was renamed Zvejnieks Liepāja. It was considered to be the second team for Daugava Rīga and the clubs best players usually had to leave for Daugava. Also if Daugava players needed to have match practice they were sent to Liepāja. In the Soviet league Zvejnieks were usually a mid-table club. With the club playing in the Soviet and not the local league, players from other Republics of the Soviet UnionRepublics of the Soviet Union
The Republics of the Soviet Union or the Union Republics of the Soviet Union were ethnically-based administrative units that were subordinated directly to the Government of the Soviet Union...
came to play for Zvejnieks. In the 1960s, defender Mārtiņš Lube was the club's captain. Jurijs Romaņenkovs who went on to become the club's coach in 1989–90 played for Zvejnieks in the 1970s.
In the 1980s Vladimirs Žuks coached Zvejnieks and several bright players emerged with the club including Jānis Intenbergs
Janis Intenbergs
Jānis Intenbergs is a Latvian football manager and a former football forward who played for the top Latvian clubs in 1980s.-Playing career:Intenbergs is considered one the all time greatest footballers from Liepāja...
, Ilmārs Verpakovskis, Vladimirs Babičevs
Vladimirs Babicevs
Vladimirs Babičevs is a Latvian football manager and a former footballer. Babičevs played in a 51 international match for Latvia.-Club playing career:...
and Ainārs Linards. A number of Daugava Rīga players also played for Zvejnieks including Raimonds Laizāns
Raimonds Laizans
Raimonds Laizāns is a former Latvian football goalkeeper who played for Latvia national football team in the 1990s.-Club playing career:...
and Dainis Deglis
Dainis Deglis
Dainis Deglis is a former Latvian football defender who was called the Latvian rifleman when he played for FK Daugava Rīga.-Playing career:...
.
Olimpija Liepāja: 1990–1993
In 1990 the club was renamed and given the name of a former Latvian club that plated in the 1920s–1930s – Olimpija LiepājaOlimpija Liepaja
Olimpija Liepāja was Latvian football club that in the 1920-1930s was one of the strongest in Latvia and with which played many Latvia national football team footballers. It was from the city of Liepāja.-History:...
.
As Olimpija the club played in the Soviet league in 1990, but in 1991, after Latvia regaining its independence, they played only in the Latvian league and finished in the third place. The Olimpija period saw the emergence of Viktors Dobrecovs
Viktors Dobrecovs
Viktors Dobrecovs is a football striker from Latvia. His current club is FK Liepājas Metalurgs. He is also the coach of Liepājas Metalurgs-2 - the reserve team of Liepājas Metalurgs.-References:**...
at the club. After the breakup of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
the first seasons in the newly independent Latvia were difficult for Olimpija as they got financially weaker from year to year.
FK Liepāja: 1994
In 1994 the club was renamed FK Liepāja but played only one season with that name.DAG Liepāja: 1995–1996
In 1995 FK Liepāja was merged with FC Dag Rīga to form DAG Liepāja. The club reached the 1995 Latvian Cup final where they lost 3–0 to Skonto FCSkonto FC
Skonto FC is a Latvian football club, founded in 1991. The club plays at the Skonto Stadium in Riga. Skonto won the Virsliga in the first 14 seasons of the league's existence , and often provides the core of the Latvia national football team...
. Ainārs Linards returned to the club in 1995. In the Latvian league the club finished 8th out of ten clubs in 1996.
Baltika Liepāja: 1996–1997
In 1996 the club changed owners again and became Baltika Liepāja. In 1996 Māris VerpakovskisMaris Verpakovskis
Māris Verpakovskis , is a Latvian football forward, currently playing for the Azerbaijan Premier League club FK Baku in Azerbaijan and the Latvia national football team.-Latvia:...
, the son of Ilmārs Verpakovskis and future Latvia national football team
Latvia national football team
The Latvian national football team is controlled by the Latvian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Latvia and represents the country in international football competitions, such as the World Cup and the European Championships. So far, they have never qualified for a FIFA World...
international made his debut for the club. For some time the club was on the brink of bankruptcy and struggled to stop the best players from leaving the club. However, the club got new funding from the local Metallurgy
Metallurgy
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys. It is also the technology of metals: the way in which science is applied to their practical use...
factory and for the 1997 season at last had a stable budget and ambitious plans again.
FK Liepājas Metalurgs: 1997 to present
In 1998 Metalurgs with Jurijs PopkovsJurijs Popkovs
Jurijs Popkovs is a Latvian football manager and a former footballer.-Playing career:Jurijs Popkovs was born in Kiev, Ukraine. His first professional club was Dynamo Minsk which he joined in 1980. In four years which he stayed with Dynamo he made only one appearance in the Soviet Top League...
as their head coach finished second behind Skonto in the Latvian Virslīga and each season up to 2004 Metalurgs finished second in the championship. In the Latvian Cup they also lost three cup finals. In 2005 Metalurgs finally became Virslīga champions and won the first title for Liepāja in an independent Latvia since the 1930s. In 2006 Metalurgs also finally won the Latvian Cup. The next league title came in 2009.
Honours
- VirsligaVirsliga-Past Virslīga winners:-Top scorers:-Riga football league winners:* 1910 Union Riga* 1911 British FC Riga* 1912 Union Riga* 1913 British FC Riga* 1914 British FC Riga* 1915 British FC Riga-Champions of Latvia before Virslīga:* 1922 Ķeizarmežs...
winners- 2005, 2009
- VirsligaVirsliga-Past Virslīga winners:-Top scorers:-Riga football league winners:* 1910 Union Riga* 1911 British FC Riga* 1912 Union Riga* 1913 British FC Riga* 1914 British FC Riga* 1915 British FC Riga-Champions of Latvia before Virslīga:* 1922 Ķeizarmežs...
runners-up- 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2011
- Latvian Cup winners
- 1946, 1947, 1948, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1963, 1964, 2006
- Baltic LeagueBaltic LeagueThe Baltic League is a Baltic football club tournament, launched in 2007 inspired by the now defunct Scandinavian tournament Royal League and by the Baltic Basketball League. The top four club sides from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania take part in the competition...
winners- 2007Baltic League 2007The 2007 season of Baltic League was the first edition of the Baltic League. The competition was won by Liepājas Metalurgs of Latvia, who beat fellow Latvians FK Ventspils 8–2 on aggregate in the final, which was spread over two legs on 8 November 2007 and 11 November 2007.-Group A:1 Dinaburg FC...
- 2007
- Latvian Soviet league winners
- 1946, 1947, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958,
Soviet Union
Olimpija LiepājaOlimpija Liepaja
Olimpija Liepāja was Latvian football club that in the 1920-1930s was one of the strongest in Latvia and with which played many Latvia national football team footballers. It was from the city of Liepāja.-History:...
| Season | Division (Name) | Pos./Teams | Pl. | W | D | L | GS | GA | P | Soviet Cup Soviet Cup The Soviet Cup, or USSR Cup , was the premier football cup competition in the Soviet Union.-Finals:-Performance by club:-Performance by republic:-References:*, rsssf.com. Accessed on 16 May 2006.... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 Soviet Second League B The Soviet Second League B was an auxiliary tier of the Soviet league system, because it was not consistent as it existed only for six seasons and somewhat randomly... |
4th (Soviet Second League B Soviet Second League B The Soviet Second League B was an auxiliary tier of the Soviet league system, because it was not consistent as it existed only for six seasons and somewhat randomly... ) |
7/(17) | 32 | 14 | 9 | 9 | 36 | 37 | 37 | Did not participate |
Latvian SSR
Olimpija LiepājaOlimpija Liepaja
Olimpija Liepāja was Latvian football club that in the 1920-1930s was one of the strongest in Latvia and with which played many Latvia national football team footballers. It was from the city of Liepāja.-History:...
| Season | Division (Name) | Pos./Teams | Pl. | W | D | L | GS | GA | P | Latvian Football Cup Latvian football Cup The Latvian Football Cup is the main "knockout" cup competition in Latvian football. It started in 1937 replacing the previous knockout tournament – Riga Football Cup.The competition is a knockout tournament.... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1st (Virsliga) | 3/(20) | 36 | 25 | 8 | 3 | 95 | 34 | 58 |
Latvia
Olimpija LiepājaOlimpija Liepaja
Olimpija Liepāja was Latvian football club that in the 1920-1930s was one of the strongest in Latvia and with which played many Latvia national football team footballers. It was from the city of Liepāja.-History:...
| Season | Division (Name) | Pos./Teams | Pl. | W | D | L | GS | GA | P | Latvian Football Cup Latvian football Cup The Latvian Football Cup is the main "knockout" cup competition in Latvian football. It started in 1937 replacing the previous knockout tournament – Riga Football Cup.The competition is a knockout tournament.... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 Latvian Higher League 1992 The 1992 season in the Latvian Higher League, named Virslīga, was the second football domestic competition since the Baltic nation gained independence from the Soviet Union on 6 September 1991... |
1st (Virsliga) | 6/(12) | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 33 | 25 | 25 | |
| 1993 Latvian Higher League 1993 The 1993 season in the Latvian Higher League, named Virslīga, was the third domestic competition since the Baltic nation gained independence from the Soviet Union on 6 September 1991. Ten teams competed in this edition, with Skonto FC claiming the title.-Final table:-Topscorers:-Awards:-Skonto FC... |
1st (Virsliga) | 7/(12) | 18 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 24 | 46 | 12 |
FK Liepāja
| Season | Division (Name) | Pos./Teams | Pl. | W | D | L | GS | GA | P | Latvian Football Cup Latvian football Cup The Latvian Football Cup is the main "knockout" cup competition in Latvian football. It started in 1937 replacing the previous knockout tournament – Riga Football Cup.The competition is a knockout tournament.... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 Latvian Higher League 1994 The 1994 season in the Latvian Higher League, named Virslīga, was the fourth domestic competition since the Baltic nation gained independence from the Soviet Union on 6 September 1991. Twelve teams competed in this edition, with Skonto FC claiming the title.-First round:-Topscorers:-Awards:-Skonto... |
1st (Virsliga) | 11/(12) | 22 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 16 | 46 | 9 | Runner-up |
DAG Liepāja
| Season | Division (Name) | Pos./Teams | Pl. | W | D | L | GS | GA | P | Latvian Football Cup Latvian football Cup The Latvian Football Cup is the main "knockout" cup competition in Latvian football. It started in 1937 replacing the previous knockout tournament – Riga Football Cup.The competition is a knockout tournament.... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 Latvian Higher League 1995 The 1995 season in the Latvian Higher League, named Virslīga, was the fifth domestic competition since the Baltic nation gained independence from the Soviet Union on 6 September 1991... |
1st (Virsliga) | 8/(10) | 24 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 29 | 57 | 28 | Runner-up |
FK Liepāja / FK Baltika
| Season | Division (Name) | Pos./Teams | Pl. | W | D | L | GS | GA | P | Latvian Football Cup Latvian football Cup The Latvian Football Cup is the main "knockout" cup competition in Latvian football. It started in 1937 replacing the previous knockout tournament – Riga Football Cup.The competition is a knockout tournament.... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 Latvian Higher League 1996 The 1996 season in the Latvian Higher League, named Virslīga, was the sixth domestic competition since the Baltic nation gained independence from the Soviet Union on 6 September 1991... |
1st (Virsliga) | 5/(10) | 28 | 11 | 5 | 12 | 32 | 44 | 38 | 1/4 finals |
FK Liepājas Metalurgs
| Season | Division (Name) | Pos./Teams | Pl. | W | D | L | GS | GA | P | Latvian Football Cup Latvian football Cup The Latvian Football Cup is the main "knockout" cup competition in Latvian football. It started in 1937 replacing the previous knockout tournament – Riga Football Cup.The competition is a knockout tournament.... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 Latvian Higher League 1997 The 1997 season in the Latvian Higher League, named Virslīga, was the seventh domestic competition since the Baltic nation gained independence from the Soviet Union on 6 September 1991. Ninth teams competed in this edition, with Skonto FC claiming the title.-Final table:-Match... |
1st (Virsliga) | 5/(9) | 24 | 9 | 4 | 11 | 27 | 32 | 31 | Did not participate |
| 1998 Latvian Higher League 1998 The 1998 season in the Latvian Higher League, named Virslīga, was the 8th domestic competition since the Baltic nation gained independence from the Soviet Union on 6 September 1991. Eight teams competed in this edition, with Skonto FC claiming the title.-Final table:-Match... |
1st (Virsliga) | 2/(8) | 28 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 62 | 25 | 57 | Runner-up |
| 1999 Latvian Higher League 1999 The 1999 season in the Latvian Higher League, named Virslīga, was the ninth domestic competition since the Baltic nation gained independence from the Soviet Union on 6 September 1991. Eight teams competed in this edition, with Skonto FC claiming the title.-Final table:-Match Table:-Awards:-Skonto... |
1st (Virsliga) | 2/(8) | 28 | 19 | 3 | 6 | 75 | 25 | 60 | 1/2 finals |
| 2000 Latvian Higher League 2000 The 2000 season in the Latvian Higher League, named Virslīga, was the tenth domestic competition since the Baltic nation gained independence from the Soviet Union on 6 September 1991. Eight teams competed in this edition, with Skonto FC claiming the title.-Final table:-Match... |
1st (Virsliga) | 3/(8) | 28 | 16 | 7 | 5 | 51 | 25 | 55 | Runner-up |
| 2001 Latvian Higher League 2001 The 2001 season in the Latvian Higher League, named Virslīga, was the eleventh domestic competition since the Baltic nation gained independence from the Soviet Union on 6 September 1991. Eight teams competed in this edition, with Skonto FC claiming the title.-Final table:-Match... |
1st (Virsliga) | 3/(8) | 28 | 20 | 4 | 4 | 60 | 24 | 64 | 1/2 finals |
| 2002 Latvian Higher League 2002 The 2002 season in the Latvian Higher League, named Virslīga, was the twelfth domestic competition since the Baltic nation gained independence from the Soviet Union on 6 September 1991. Eight teams competed in this edition, with Skonto FC claiming the title.-Final table:-Match... |
1st (Virsliga) | 3/(8) | 28 | 15 | 6 | 7 | 56 | 31 | 51 | Runner-up |
| 2003 Latvian Higher League 2003 The 2003 season in the Latvian Higher League, named Virslīga, was the thirteenth domestic competition since the Baltic nation gained independence from the Soviet Union on 6 September 1991. Eight teams competed in this edition, with Skonto FC claiming the title.-Final... |
1st (Virsliga) | 2/(8) | 28 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 100 | 29 | 68 | 1/4 finals |
| 2004 Latvian Higher League 2004 The 2004 season in the Latvian Higher League, named Virslīga, was the 14th domestic competition since the Baltic nation gained independence from the Soviet Union on 6 September 1991. Eight teams competed in this edition, with Skonto FC claiming the title.-Final table:-Topscorers:-Awards:-References:... |
1st (Virsliga) | 2/(8) | 28 | 21 | 3 | 4 | 85 | 27 | 66 | 1/2 finals |
| 2005 Latvian Higher League 2005 The 2005 season in the Latvian Higher League, named Virslīga, was the 15th domestic football competition since the Baltic nation gained independence from the Soviet Union on 6 September 1991. Eight teams competed in this edition, with FK Liepājas Metalurgs claiming the title.-Final... |
1st (Virsliga) | 1/(8) | 28 | 22 | 5 | 1 | 85 | 19 | 71 | Runner-up |
| 2006 Latvian Higher League 2006 -League standings:-Topscorers:-Awards:-References:... |
1st (Virsliga) | 3/(8) | 28 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 66 | 20 | 62 | Winner |
| 2007 Latvian Higher League 2007 The 2007 Latvian Higher League season was the 16th Virslīga season. It started on 7 April 2007 and finished on 4 December 2007. Eight teams competed in the league, playing each other four times over the course of the season, twice at home and twice away.... |
1st (Virsliga) | 2/(8) | 28 | 18 | 4 | 6 | 42 | 21 | 58 | 1/4 finals |
| 2008 Latvian Higher League 2008 The 2008 Virslīga season was the 17th Virslīga season. It began on 5 April 2008 with the first round of games and ended on 9 November 2008 with the final matches of the championship and relegation rounds. Ventspils were the defending champions.... |
1st (Virsliga) | 2/(10) | 28 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 48 | 25 | 53 | 1/4 finals |
| 2009 Latvian Higher League 2009 Latvian Higher League 2009 was the 18th season of top-tier football in Latvia. It began on 14 March 2009 with the first round of games and ended on 8 November 2009 with the 36th round of matches. Ventspils were the defending champions.... |
1st (Virsliga) | 1/(9) | 32 | 25 | 4 | 3 | 96 | 23 | 79 | 1/4 finals |
| 2010 | 1st (Virsliga) | 3/(10) | 27 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 70 | 20 | 61 | 1/4 finals |
| 2011 2011 Latvian Higher League The 2011 Latvian Higher League is the 20th season of top-tier football in Latvia. It began on 15 April 2011 with the first round of games. Skonto FC are the defending champions, having won their 15th league title the previous season.... |
1st (Virsliga) | 2/(9) | 32 | 22 | 4 | 6 | 74 | 26 | 70 | Runner-up |
Participation in Baltic League
| Year | Position |
| 2007/08 | Winner |
| 2008/09 | Quarter-finals |
| 2009/10 | Semi-finals |
| 2010/11 2010–11 Baltic League The 2010–11 Baltic League is a 16-team football tournament held in the Baltic states. Five top teams from each participating country – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – along with the winner of the 2009–10 season will play a 4 round and 2 legged play-off style knockout tournament... |
Semi-finals |
Europe record
| Season | Competition | Round | Country | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998/99 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1998-99 The season 1998-99 of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup football club tournament was won by Lazio in the final against Mallorca for their first title in the competition.-Qualifying round:-First leg:--------------------------------------------... |
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup UEFA Cup Winners' Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but... |
1R |  |
Keflavík ÍF Keflavik ÍF Keflavík ÍF is an Icelandic sports club, from the town of Reykjanesbær. The club has several divisions for different sports: football, basketball, swimming, gymnastics, badminton, shooting and taekwondo... |
4–2 | 0–1 | 4–3 |
| 2R |  |
SC Braga SC Braga Sporting Clube de Braga , commonly known as Sporting de Braga or just Braga, is a Portuguese sports club, from the city of Braga. Its football team plays at the AXA Stadium, also known as The Quarry, which was built for UEFA Euro 2004... |
0–0 | 0–4 | 0–4 | ||
| 1999/00 UEFA Cup 1999-00 The UEFA Cup 1999-2000 season was won by Galatasaray of Turkey, who defeated Arsenal of England in the final. The game was scoreless through the first ninety minutes and stayed that way through thirty minutes of extra time. The game went on to penalty kicks in which Gheorghe Popescu, the Romanian... |
UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
QR |  |
Lech Poznań Lech Poznan Lech Poznań is a Polish football club based in Poznań, Poland. The club is named after Lech, the legendary founder of Polish nation.The club was established in 1922 as Lutnia Dębiec, later changing its name several times. From 1933 until 1994, the club was closely linked to Polish State Railways... |
3–2 | 1–3 | 4–5 |
| 2001 | UEFA Intertoto Cup UEFA Intertoto Cup The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued... |
1 |  |
Cork City F.C. | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 |
| 2 |  |
SC Heerenveen | 3–2 | 1–6 | 4–8 | ||
| 2000/01 UEFA Cup 2000-01 In perhaps the most bizarre European final ever, the 2000–01 UEFA Cup was won by Liverpool in a dramatic golden goal final against Deportivo Alavés for their third title in the competition. It completed a unique cup treble for the club, as they also won the FA Cup and the League Cup that season... |
UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
QR |  |
SK Brann | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 |
| 2002/03 | UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
QR |  |
FC Kärnten FC Kärnten FC Kärnten was an Austrian association football club based in Klagenfurt, Carinthia. It was founded in 1920 under the name of KSK Klagenfurt. They last played home games at the Sportzentrum Fischl.- History :... |
0–2 | 2–4 | 2–6 |
| 2003/04 | UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
QR |  |
FC Dinamo Bucureşti | 1–1 | 2–5 | 3–6 |
| 2004/05 UEFA Cup 2004-05 The 2004–05 UEFA Cup season was won by CSKA Moscow, coming from behind in the final against Sporting Clube de Portugal. It was the first win by a Russian side in any European competition, and was even more impressive considering that the final was held at the José Alvalade Stadium, the home of... |
UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
1QR |  |
B36 Tórshavn B36 Tórshavn B36 Tórshavn or F.C. Tórshavn is a Faroese football club, based in the capital, Tórshavn... |
8–1 | 3–1 | 11–2 |
| 2Q |  |
Östers IF Östers IF Östers IF is a Swedish football club located in Växjö. The club, formed 20 April 1930 , is currently playing in the second Swedish league called Superettan. In 1968, Öster won Allsvenskan as newcomers. The club is affiliated to the Smålands Fotbollförbund... |
1–1 | 2–2 | 3–3 (a Away goals rule The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal... ) |
||
| 1 |  |
FC Schalke 04 FC Schalke 04 Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major... |
0–4 | 1–5 | 1–9 | ||
| 2005/06 UEFA Cup 2005-06 The UEFA Cup 2005–06 season was won by Sevilla FC, beating Middlesbrough FC in the final. It was the first victory for Sevilla in a European competition, and the first appearance by Middlesbrough in a European final. The final took place at Philips Stadion, in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The match was... |
UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
1QR | |
NSÍ Runavík NSÍ Runavík NSÍ Runavík is a Faroese football club, playing in Runavík founded March 24, 1957. In 2003 NSÍ participated for the first time on a European stage.In 2007 the club won the Faroe Islands Premier League for the first time.... |
3–0 | 3–0 | 6–0 |
| 2QR |  |
K.R.C. Genk K.R.C. Genk Koninklijke Racing Club Genk , usually referred to as Racing Genk or simply Genk, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Genk in Belgian Limburg. Racing Genk plays in the Belgian Pro League and they have won 3 Belgian champion titles in 1998–99, in 2001–02 and in 2010–11 as... |
2–3 | 0–3 | 2–6 | ||
| 2006/07 UEFA Champions League 2006-07 The 2006–07 UEFA Champions League was the 15th season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since it was rebranded from the European Cup, and the 52nd season overall. The final was contested by Milan and Liverpool on 23 May 2007... |
UEFA Champions League UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It... |
1QR |  |
FC Aktobe FC Aktobe FC Aktobe are a Kazakh football club based at the Central Stadium in Aktobe. Current members and four-time champions of the Kazakhstani Premier League, they also won the country's second level league – First Division – in 2000.-Name history:... |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 |
| 2QR |  |
FC Dynamo Kyiv FC Dynamo Kyiv FC Dynamo Kyiv is a professional football club based in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. Founded in 1927, the club currently participates in the Ukrainian Premier League and has spent its entire history in the top league of Soviet and later Ukrainian football... |
1–4 | 0–4 | 1–8 | ||
| 2007/08 | UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
1QR |  |
FC Dinamo Brest FC Dinamo Brest FC Dinamo Brest is a Belarusian football club based in Brest. They play in the Belarusian Premier League, the top division in Belarusian football.-Name changes:*1960: founded as Spartak Brest*1972: renamed to Bug Brest... |
1–1 | 2–1 | 3–2 |
| 2QR | |
AIK Fotboll AIK Fotboll AIK, , an abbreviation for Allmänna Idrottsklubben, , when needed internationally AIK Stockholm, is a Swedish football club based at Råsunda stadium in Solna, a municipality in Stockholm County bordering to Stockholm City Centre... |
3–2 | 0–2 | 3–4 | ||
| 2008/09 | UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
1QR |  |
Glentoran F.C. Glentoran F.C. Glentoran F.C. is a semi-professional, football club in Northern Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 and plays its home games at the Oval in east Belfast. Club colours are green, red, and black.Glentoran's biggest rivals are Linfield... |
2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 |
| 2QR | |
SC Vaslui | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–5 | ||
| 2009/10 | UEFA Europa League | 2QR |  |
FC Dinamo Tbilisi FC Dinamo Tbilisi FC Dinamo Tbilisi is a Georgian football team, based in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.Dinamo Tbilisi was one of the most prominent clubs in Soviet football and a major contender in the Soviet Top League almost immediately after it was established in 1936... |
2–1 | 1–3 | 3–4 |
| 2010/11 | UEFA Champions League UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It... |
2QR |  |
Sparta Prague | 0–3 | 0–2 | 0–5 |
| 2011/12 | UEFA Europa League | 2QR | |
FC Red Bull Salzburg | 1–4 | 0-0 | 1-4 |
Sponsors
| Role | Sponsors |
|---|---|
| General sponsors |  Liepājas Metalurgs |
| Kit manufacturer | Adidas Adidas Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport... |
Current squad
As of April 14, 2011(captain)
(on loan from FBK Kaunas
FBK Kaunas
Kauno futbolo beisbolo klubas is a Lithuanian football club from the city of Kaunas, that currently plays in the A Lyga, the top level of Lithuanian football.- History :...
)
For recent squad changes see: List of Latvian football transfers winter 2010-2011 and List of Latvian football transfers summer 2011.
Staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Sergejs Zaharjins |
| Director | Ilgvars Šēns |
| Financial director | Aleksandrs Rogoza |
| Director of football | Šenderis Giršovičius |
| Manager | Vladimirs Osipovs |
| Assistant manager | Viktors Lukins |
| Goalkeeping coach | Aleksejs Krucs |
| Doctor | Anatolijs Krivozubovs |
| Masseur | Aleksandrs Bobrovičs |
| Masseur | Dainis Sergejevs |
| General manager | Jurijs Romaņenkovs |
Notable former players
Managers
Figures correct as of November 9, 2011.| Kārlis Tīls Karlis Tils Kārlis Tīls was a Latvian international football defender and football manager, one of the most legendary footballers in the history of Liepāja.-Biography:... (1945–48) (Daugava Liepāja coach) Arturs Bušs (1949–51) Ernests Ziņģis(1953–54) Afanasijs Ptičkins (1954–60) Hārdijs Blūms (1961) Lev Korchebokov (1962–63) Afanasijs Ptičkins (1964–65) Lev Korchebokov (1966–67) Boriss Graps (1967–68) Raimonds Dambis Raimonds Dambis Raimonds Dambis is a former Latvian footballer and football manager.-Playing biography:Dambis was born in Dobele, Latvia. As a teenager before World War II he played with Dobele senior teams but after the war, with Daugava Dobele, he played from 1948 to 1949 in the top Latvian league. Later he... (1969–70) Zigfrīds Driķis (1971) Afanasijs Ptičkins (1971–75) Vladimirs Davidovs (1976-78) Valentīns Obrivins (1976–78) Boris Reinhold (1978–80) Valentīns Obrivins (1981–82) Eduards Vlasovs (1983–84) Vladimirs Žuks (1985–88) Jānis Mežeckis (1989–90) |
Aivars Sveilis (1991) Jānis Zuntners (1991) Aleksandrs Jurenko (1992) Jānis Zuntners (1993–94) Eduards Safjanovs (1994) Ilmārs Verpakovskis (1994) Viktors Ņesterenko Viktors Nesterenko Viktors Ņesterenko is a Latvian football coach and former footballer.-Playing biography:Ņesterenko was born in Ukraine and played football there with the reserves of FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. At the age of Ņesterenko was invited to move to Riga, Latvia, for studies. In 1971, Ņesterenko joined... (1995) Vladimirs Žuks (1996) Šendelas Geršovičius (1996) Jānis Gilis Janis Gilis Jānis Gilis , was the first general manager of Latvia national football team after Latvia regained independence.-Playing career:... (1997) Jurijs Popkovs Jurijs Popkovs Jurijs Popkovs is a Latvian football manager and a former footballer.-Playing career:Jurijs Popkovs was born in Kiev, Ukraine. His first professional club was Dynamo Minsk which he joined in 1980. In four years which he stayed with Dynamo he made only one appearance in the Soviet Top League... (1998–00) Anatoli Shelest Anatoli Shelest Anatoli Borisovich Shelest is a Russian professional football coach and a former player. In 2009, he was the manager of FC Stavropolye-2009.His son Taras Shelest is a professional footballer.- External links :*... (2000–01) Vladimir Mukhanov Vladimir Mukhanov Vladimir Mukhanov is a Russian football coach and currently coach of the FC Aktobe.He played 37 games in Soviet Top League and scored 6 goals. He started his managerial career in 1992 and managed several Russian First Division teams until 2003, when he came in charge of Kazakhstan Premier League... (2002) Viktors Lukins (2002–03) Benjaminas Zelkevičius Benjaminas Zelkevicius Benjaminas Zelkevičius is a football coach and a former striker from Lithuania. Zelkevičius has been manager of the Lithuania national football team on three separate occasions: from 1990–1991, 1995–1997, and 2001–2002... (2004–07) Jurijs Andrejevs Jurijs Andrejevs Jurijs Andrejevs is a former footballer who is currently the sporting director of Liepājas Metalurgs.Previously he was the manager of the team but was released in 2008 after an unsuccessful season.... (2007–08) Vladimirs Osipovs (2008, caretaker) Rüdiger Abramczik Rüdiger Abramczik Rüdiger Abramczik is a former German football player and coach, best known for his ability to cross the ball .... (2008–10) Vladimirs Osipovs (2010–) |
Women's team
The women's team play in Latvian highest leagueLatvian Women's League
The Latvian Women's League is the top level women's football league of Latvia.The winning team of the league qualifies for a spot in the UEFA Women's Champions League. As participation is optional, no Latvian team competed in the competition until 2011/12 when SK Liepājas Metalurgs entered European...
and has won the championship in 2010. It will represent Latvia in the 2011–12 UEFA Women's Champions League
2011–12 UEFA Women's Champions League
The 2011−12 UEFA Women's Champions League is the eleventh edition of the European women's championship for football clubs. The final will be held in Munich, Germany on 17 May 2012....
. It is the very first time a team from Latvia enters the competition since its creation in 2001–02.