Season | 2023 |
---|---|
Dates | 11 March – 11 November |
Champions | RFS |
Relegated | Super Nova |
Champions League | RFS |
Conference League | Auda Riga Valmiera |
Matches played | 180 |
Goals scored | 523 (2.91 per match) |
← 2022 2024 →
All statistics correct as of 7 January 2024. |
The 2023 Latvian Higher League, known as the Optibet Virslīga for sponsorship reasons, was the 32nd season of top-tier football in Latvia. The season began on 11 March 2023 and ended on 11 November 2023.
The winners (RFS, their second title win) qualified for the 2024–25 Champions League first qualifying round. The second-placed team (Riga) qualified for the 2024–25 Conference League second qualifying round. The third and fourth-placed teams (Auda and Valmiera) qualified for the 2024–25 Conference League first qualifying round. The ninth-placed team (Metta) qualified for the Latvian Higher League play-off. The bottom team (Super Nova) were relegated to the 2024 Latvian First League.
Ten teams contest the league; the top nine clubs from the previous season, and one team promoted from 1. līga.
Promoted from 2022 Latvian First League |
Relegated |
---|---|
Jelgava | Spartaks Jūrmala |
FS Jelgava won promotion by winning the First League in 2022. After Spartaks Jūrmala failed to obtain the necessary license for participation in the league, SK Super Nova (who had been relegated) were given the chance to return to the league. Ninth-placed Metta defeated Grobiņa from the Latvian First League to retain their status in the top-flight. Valmiera entered the season as defending champions.
Club | Seasons in Virsliga |
2022 position | Stadium | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|---|
BFC Daugavpils | 10 | 7th | Celtnieks Stadium | 1,980 |
FK Auda | 2 | 5th | Audas Stadions | 520 |
FS Jelgava | 1 | 1st in 1. līga | Zemgale Olympic Center | 2,500 |
FK Liepāja | 10 | 4th | Daugava Stadium (Liepāja) | 4,022 |
Metta/LU | 12 | 9th | Daugava Stadium (Riga) | 10,461 |
RFS | 8 | 3rd | LNK Sporta Parks | 2,300 |
Riga FC | 8 | 2nd | Skonto Stadium | 8,087 |
SK Super Nova | 2 | 10th | Sloka Stadium | 2,500 |
FK Tukums 2000 | 2 | 6th | Tukuma Pilsētas Stadions | 1,000 |
Valmiera FC | 6 | 1st | Jāņa Daliņa Stadions | 1,250 |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | RFS (C) | 36 | 27 | 8 | 1 | 96 | 18 | +78 | 89 | Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round |
2 | Riga | 36 | 27 | 7 | 2 | 89 | 21 | +68 | 88 | Qualification for the Conference League second qualifying round |
3 | Auda | 36 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 44 | 39 | +5 | 58 | Qualification for the Conference League first qualifying round |
4 | Valmiera | 36 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 47 | 40 | +7 | 53 | |
5 | Liepāja | 36 | 14 | 9 | 13 | 52 | 54 | −2 | 51 | Qualification for the Conference League first qualifying round |
6 | Jelgava | 36 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 42 | 57 | −15 | 40 | |
7 | Daugavpils | 36 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 40 | 52 | −12 | 36 | |
8 | Tukums 2000 | 36 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 47 | 83 | −36 | 35 | |
9 | Metta (O) | 36 | 8 | 9 | 19 | 41 | 63 | −22 | 33 | Qualification for the Latvian Higher League play-off |
10 | Super Nova (R) | 36 | 3 | 5 | 28 | 25 | 96 | −71 | 14 | Relegation to the Latvian First League |
The ninth-placed club (Metta) faced the third-placed club from the 2023 Latvian First League (Skanste) for the final place in the following season's Latvian Higher League.
22 November 2023 | Metta | 6–1 | Skanste | Riga |
16:00 BST |
|
Stadium: Daugava Stadium |
Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Marko Regža | Riga | 19 |
2 | Jānis Ikaunieks | RFS | 15 |
3 | Andrej Ilić | RFS | 14 |
4 | Dodô | Liepāja | 13 |
5 | Reginaldo Ramires | Auda | 12 |
6 | Ismaël Diomandé | BFC Daugavpils/RFS | 11 |
7 | Jevgenijs Miņins | Super Nova | 10 |
8 | Emerson Deocleciano | RFS | 9 |
Raivis Ķiršs | Tukums 2000 | ||
Valerijs Lizunovs | Daugavpils | ||
Victor Osuagwu | Jelgava |
Player | For | Against | Result | Date | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Emerson Deocleciano | RFS | Tukums 2000 | 1–7 (A) | 9 May 2023 | |
Ismaël Diomandé4 | RFS | Auda | 2–5 (A) | 23 July 2023 | |
Jānis Ikaunieks | RFS | Tukums 2000 | 7–0 (H) | 29 July 2023 | |
Léo Gaúcho | Valmiera | Liepāja | 1–4 (A) | 17 September 2023 |
Rank | Player | Club | Clean sheets |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Jevgēņijs Ņerugals | RFS | 19 |
2 | Nils Puriņš | Riga | 16 |
3 | Carlos Olses | Valmiera | 10 |
4 | Vladislavs Kurakins | Daugavpils | 8 |
5 | Fabrice Ondoa | Auda | 7 |
Raivo Sturins | Jelgava | ||
7 | Roberts Ozols | Auda | 5 |
8 | Sergejs Vilkovs | Tukums 2000 | 4 |
Rihards Matrevics | Riga | ||
Pāvels Šteinbors | RFS | ||
Niks Aleksandrovs | Auda |