Latvian Higher League 2008
Encyclopedia
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.
For the 2008 season the league has expanded to ten clubs, and the fixture format has changed. Due to expansion 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. From the 2008 season on, the league will be held in two rounds.
In the first round each club played all the other nine clubs twice, home and away starting with Matchday 1 on 5 April and finishing with Matchday 18 on 10 August.
In the second round there were two "mini leagues", with the top six clubs after the First Round, playing each other twice and clubs in 7th to 10th place after the First Round playing each other four times. Second round matches started on 24 August and finished on 9 November.
At the end of the season, the club finishing bottom of the Virslīga were automatically relegated to the 1. līga
, and the champions of the 1. līga were automatically promoted, taking the place of the relegated club. The club that finished next to the bottom in the Virslīga play a two-legged playoff for the final place in the Virslīga for the next season with the club that finished second in 1. līga.
1
1The match originally finished 0–0, but was eventually awarded with as won by a score of 3–0 to Ventspils
because Dinaburg FC
fielded player who was not in match protocol.
, the 9th placed team in the Virslīga, and 1. līga
runners-up, Tranzīts Ventspils
, competed in a two-legged play-off for a spot in the Virslīga 2009
. Blāzma Rēzekne
won 6–1 on aggregate and thereby kept their spot in the next season
of 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...
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
FK Ventspils
FK Ventspils is a Latvian football club, based at Ventspils Olimpiskais Stadions in Ventspils city and is one of the most popular football clubs in the country. FK Ventspils plays in the Latvian Virsliga. They are the current champions of the tournament....
were the defending champions.
Season details
Latvian First League 2007
-League standings:...
, champions FK Vindava (from Ventspils
Ventspils
Ventspils is a city in northwestern Latvia in the Courland historical region of Latvia, the sixth largest city in the country. As of 2006, Ventspils had a population of 43,806. Ventspils is situated on the Venta River and the Baltic Sea, and has an ice-free port...
), and second placed SK Blāzma
FK Blazma Rezekne
SK Blāzma is a Latvian football club located in Rēzekne. The club is a continuation of the city's main football club, Dižvanagi. The club competed in Virslīga in the 2008 season following promotion from the 1. Liga in 2007.- History :...
(from Rēzekne
Rezekne
In the 19th century, the population of Rēzekne was 2/3 Jewish. As a result of the Pale of Settlement many Jews settled in Latgalia and were confined to the cities. The remainder of the population included Poles, Germans, Russians, and an extreme minority of native Latgalians...
) were both promoted. From the 2008 season on, the league will be held in two rounds.
In the first round each club played all the other nine clubs twice, home and away starting with Matchday 1 on 5 April and finishing with Matchday 18 on 10 August.
In the second round there were two "mini leagues", with the top six clubs after the First Round, playing each other twice and clubs in 7th to 10th place after the First Round playing each other four times. Second round matches started on 24 August and finished on 9 November.
At the end of the season, the club finishing bottom of the Virslīga were automatically relegated to the 1. līga
Latvian First League
The Latvian First League is the second tier of football in Latvia and is organised by the Latvian Football Federation. From the 2007 season, the tournament has been known as the Traffic 1. līga, due to its sponsorship by the "Traffic auto advert" advertising company.-Format:There are 14 clubs in...
, and the champions of the 1. līga were automatically promoted, taking the place of the relegated club. The club that finished next to the bottom in the Virslīga play a two-legged playoff for the final place in the Virslīga for the next season with the club that finished second in 1. līga.
Standings
Results
Standings
Results
1
1The match originally finished 0–0, but was eventually awarded with as won by a score of 3–0 to Ventspils
FK Ventspils
FK Ventspils is a Latvian football club, based at Ventspils Olimpiskais Stadions in Ventspils city and is one of the most popular football clubs in the country. FK Ventspils plays in the Latvian Virsliga. They are the current champions of the tournament....
because Dinaburg FC
Dinaburg FC
Dinaburg FC was a Latvian football club, playing in the city of Daugavpils. In 2009 it merged with FK Daugava. The club plays at the Daugava Stadium . In October 2009 the club was eliminated from Virsliga and also from The Baltic League, because of suspicion about totalizator playing at the club...
fielded player who was not in match protocol.
Standings
Results
First and second games |
Third and fourth games |
Relegation play-offs
Blāzma RēzekneFK Blazma Rezekne
SK Blāzma is a Latvian football club located in Rēzekne. The club is a continuation of the city's main football club, Dižvanagi. The club competed in Virslīga in the 2008 season following promotion from the 1. Liga in 2007.- History :...
, the 9th placed team in the Virslīga, and 1. līga
Latvian First League
The Latvian First League is the second tier of football in Latvia and is organised by the Latvian Football Federation. From the 2007 season, the tournament has been known as the Traffic 1. līga, due to its sponsorship by the "Traffic auto advert" advertising company.-Format:There are 14 clubs in...
runners-up, Tranzīts Ventspils
FK Tranzits Ventspils
FC Tranzit is a Latvian football club that is based in Ventspils. Prior to 2010 it was known as FC Tranzīts.-First-team squad:As of April 27, 2010...
, competed in a two-legged play-off for a spot in the Virslīga 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....
. Blāzma Rēzekne
FK Blazma Rezekne
SK Blāzma is a Latvian football club located in Rēzekne. The club is a continuation of the city's main football club, Dižvanagi. The club competed in Virslīga in the 2008 season following promotion from the 1. Liga in 2007.- History :...
won 6–1 on aggregate and thereby kept their spot in the next season
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....
of 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...
.
----
Topscorers
| Pos | Name | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ' | FK Ventspils FK Ventspils FK Ventspils is a Latvian football club, based at Ventspils Olimpiskais Stadions in Ventspils city and is one of the most popular football clubs in the country. FK Ventspils plays in the Latvian Virsliga. They are the current champions of the tournament.... |
14 |
| 2 | FK Liepājas Metalurgs | 13 | |
| FK Jūrmala FK Jurmala FK Jūrmala-VV is a Latvian football club, playing in the top division of Latvian football. They are from the city of Jūrmala.-History:FK Jūrmala was founded in 2003 and its goals included creating a club infrastructure, building a modern stadium in Sloka and popularization of sports among children... |
13 | ||
| 4 | FK Ventspils FK Ventspils FK Ventspils is a Latvian football club, based at Ventspils Olimpiskais Stadions in Ventspils city and is one of the most popular football clubs in the country. FK Ventspils plays in the Latvian Virsliga. They are the current champions of the tournament.... |
11 | |
| 5 | Dinaburg FC Dinaburg FC Dinaburg FC was a Latvian football club, playing in the city of Daugavpils. In 2009 it merged with FK Daugava. The club plays at the Daugava Stadium . In October 2009 the club was eliminated from Virsliga and also from The Baltic League, because of suspicion about totalizator playing at the club... |
9 | |
| - | 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... |
9 |