Latvian Higher League
Season2022
Dates11 March – 12 November 2022
ChampionsValmiera
RelegatedSpartaks Jūrmala
Champions LeagueValmiera
Conference LeagueRFS, Riga, Auda
Matches played180
Goals scored536 (2.98 per match)
← 2021
2023 →
All statistics correct as of 18 November 2022.

The 2022 Latvian Higher League, known as the Optibet Virslīga for sponsorship reasons, was the 31st season of top-tier football in Latvia. The season began on 11 March 2022 and ended on 12 November 2022. RFS were the defending champions after winning the league the previous season.

Teams

No teams were relegated at the end of the previous season. The league consists of 7 clubs from the previous season, joined by 3 teams from 1. līga - champions FK Auda, second place Tukums and third place SK Super Nova all were promoted.

2022 Virsliga competitors
Club Seasons
in Virsliga 		2021 position Stadium Capacity
BFC Daugavpils 9 6th Celtnieks Stadium 1,980
FK Auda 1 1st in 1. līga Audas stadions 520
FK Liepāja 9 3rd Daugava Stadium (Liepāja) 4,022
Metta/LU 11 7th Daugava Stadium (Riga) 10,461
Riga FC 7 4th Skonto Stadium 8,087
RFS 7 1st LNK Sporta Parks 2,300
Spartaks Jūrmala 11 5th Slokas Stadium 2,500
SK Super Nova 1 3rd in 1. līga Olaines stadions 2,500
FK Tukums 2000 1 2nd in 1. līga Tukuma pilsētas stadions 1,000
Valmiera FC 5 2nd Jānis Daliņš Stadium 1,250

Managers

Team Coach Appointed In Charge
FK Auda Croatia Tomislav Stipić 1 February 2022 2 years, 2 months
Daugavpils Latvia Andrejs Kaļiņins 4 January 2021 3 years, 3 months
Liepāja Georgia (country) Tamaz Pertia 3 June 2022 1 year, 10 months
Metta/LU Latvia Andris Riherts 27 June 2022 1 year, 9 months
Riga Croatia Sandro Perković 7 June 2022 1 year, 10 months
RFS Latvia Viktors Morozs 13 December 2019 4 years, 4 months
Spartaks Jūrmala Portugal Fabiano Flora 15 May 2022 1 year, 11 months
SK Super Nova Latvia Aleksandrs Koliņko 29 June 2022 1 year, 9 months
Tukums 2000 Latvia Kristaps Dišlers 25 January 2021 3 years, 2 months
Valmiera FC Latvia Jurģis Kalns 17 February 2022 2 years, 1 month

Managerial changes

Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Incoming manager Date of appointment
Riga North Macedonia Sashko Poposki (caretaker) end of contract 30 November 2021 Germany Thorsten Fink 4 January 2022
FK Auda Latvia Sergejs Kožans mutual agreement 1 February 2022 Croatia Tomislav Stipić 1 February 2022
Liepāja Serbia Nebojša Vignjević signed with Hungary Honvéd 31 January 2022 Belarus Kirill Alshevsky 9 February 2022
Valmiera FC Georgia (country) Tamaz Pertia mutual agreement 14 February 2022 Latvia Jurģis Kalns 17 February 2022
Spartaks Jūrmala Poland Przemyslaw Lagozny mutual agreement 15 May 2022 Portugal Fabiano Flora 15 May 2022
Riga Germany Thorsten Fink mutual agreement 16 May 2022 Latvia Kristaps Blanks (caretaker) 16 May 2022
Liepāja Belarus Kirill Alshevsky mutual agreement 3 June 2022 Georgia (country) Tamaz Pertia 3 June 2022
SK Super Nova Latvia Andrejs Lapsa mutual agreement 4 June 2022 Latvia Igors Korabļovs (caretaker) 4 June 2022
Riga Latvia Kristaps Blanks (caretaker) found new coach 7 June 2022 Croatia Sandro Perković 7 June 2022
Metta/LU Latvia Andrejs Gluščuks mutual agreement 22 June 2022 Latvia Andris Riherts 27 June 2022
SK Super Nova Latvia Igors Korabļovs (caretaker) found new coach 29 June 2022 Latvia Aleksandrs Koliņko 29 June 2022

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Valmiera (C) 36 26 7 3 101 25 +76 85 Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round
2 Riga 36 26 3 7 68 23 +45 81 Qualification for the Europa Conference League first qualifying round
3 RFS 36 22 10 4 83 32 +51 76
4 Liepāja 36 21 7 8 72 42 +30 70
5 Auda 36 15 6 15 42 36 +6 51 Qualification for the Europa Conference League second qualifying round[a]
6 Tukums 2000 36 11 5 20 38 69 −31 38
7 Daugavpils 36 9 7 20 30 67 −37 34
8 Spartaks Jūrmala (R) 36 9 4 23 37 75 −38 31 Relegation to the Latvian First League[b]
9 Metta (O) 36 5 7 24 41 86 −45 22 Qualification for the Latvian Higher League play-off
10 Super Nova 36 4 8 24 24 81 −57 20
Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Goal difference; 5) Goals scored; 6) Fair-play ranking; 7) Play-off.
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Auda qualified for the Europa Conference League second qualifying round by winning the 2022 Latvian Football Cup.
  2. ^ Spartaks Jūrmala were relegated after being refused a Latvian Higher League license; Super Nova were reprieved from relegation.

Fixtures and results

Rounds 1–18

Rounds 1–18
Home \ Away AUD DAU LIE MLU RIG RFS SPJ SNO TUK VAL
FK Auda 2–0 1–2 3–2 0–1 0–1 5–0 4–1 1–0 1–3
Daugavpils 1–2 0–4 2–0 0–0 1–4 2–0 1–0 2–1 0–0
Liepāja 1–1 5–1 1–0 1–0 2–3 0–0 3–1 1–2 1–3
Metta 0–1 2–3 1–5 1–4 1–1 2–0 1–1 3–2 0–3
Riga 1–0 2–0 0–1 4–0 2–0 3–0 2–0 1–0 2–1
RFS 0–0 4–0 2–2 3–1 2–1 2–0 2–0 3–0 1–3
Spartaks Jūrmala 1–2 2–0 0–2 4–2 0–4 2–3 0–0 1–3 0–2
SK Super Nova 0–0 0–0 1–3 0–1 1–4 0–3 0–3 0–1 1–5
Tukums 2000 2–1 0–1 1–4 2–2 0–1 0–10 3–0 1–1 0–3
Valmiera 2–0 1–0 3–0 1–1 3–0 4–0 4–1 1–0 3–0
Source: soccerway
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Rounds 19–36

Rounds 19–36
Home \ Away AUD DAU LIE MLU RIG RFS SPJ SNO TUK VAL
FK Auda 2–0 1–2 2–1 0–2 1–1 0–1 3–0 3–0 1–1
Daugavpils 0–1 2–3 3–2 0–4 1–3 1–1 1–1 0–0 1–1
Liepāja 1–0 2–1 5–1 0–0 1–2 5–2 2–0 4–1 0–2
Metta 3–0 2–3 2–2 0–2 1–3 0–0 1–1 1–2 1–4
Riga 2–0 4–0 2–0 3–2 0–1 2–1 1–0 3–1 0–2
RFS 0–0 4–0 0–0 6–0 1–1 3–0 2–3 2–2 2–2
Spartaks Jūrmala 0–1 2–1 2–3 2–0 1–3 0–2 2–3 1–3 1–6
SK Super Nova 1–2 1–0 2–2 0–3 1–4 0–4 1–3 2–1 1–6
Tukums 2000 1–0 0–1 2–1 2–0 0–2 0–2 1–2 2–0 1–1
Valmiera 2–1 5–1 0–1 6–1 3–1 1–1 1–2 7–0 6–1
Source: soccerway
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Statistics

Top goalscorers

As of 12 November 2022
Rank Player Club Goals
1 Latvia Raimonds Krollis Valmiera 24
2 Serbia Andrej Ilić RFS 16
3 Colombia Camilo Mena Valmiera 14
4 Brazil Luiz Hilario Liepāja 13
5 Senegal Djibril Gueye Valmiera 12
6 Brazil Emerson Deocleciano RFS 11
Argentina Marcelo Torres Riga
8 Latvia Valerijs Lizunovs Daugavpils 10
Latvia Bruno Melnis Metta
Latvia Deniss Rakels RFS

Hat-tricks

Player For Against Result Date
Colombia Camilo Mena Valmiera FC Spartaks Jūrmala 4–1 (H) 18 March 2022
Brazil Lucas Villela FK Liepāja BFC Daugavpils 4–0 (A) 14 May 2022
France Brice Tutu FK Auda Spartaks Jūrmala 5–0 (H) 17 June 2022

Notes
(H) – Home team
(A) – Away team

Latvian Higher League play-off

First leg

24 November 2022 Metta 2–0 Grobiņa
19:00

Second leg

27 November 2022 Grobiņa 2–3
(2–5 agg.)		 Metta
13:00

See also

References

External links

2022 in Latvian football
Seasons of Top Latvian Football Leagues
2021–22 in European men's football (UEFA)
2022–23 in European men's football (UEFA)
Categories