2012 Latvian Higher League

The 2012 Latvian Higher League was the 21st season of top-tier football in Latvia. It began on 24 March 2012 and ended on 10 November 2012.[1] FK Ventspils are the defending champions.

Latvian Higher League
Season2012
ChampionsFC Daugava
RelegatedFB Gulbene
Champions LeagueFC Daugava
Europa LeagueSkonto Riga
FK Ventspils
SK Liepājas Metalurgs
Matches played180
Goals scored494 (2.74 per match)
Top goalscorerMamuka Ghonghadze (18)
Biggest home winJūrmala 6-1 Daugava Daugavpils
Skonto Rīga 5-0 Metta/LU
Ventspils 5-0 Daugava Rīga
Biggest away winMetta/LU 1-6 Ventspils
Gulbene 2005 0-5 Ventspils
Metta/LU 0-5 Daugava Daugavpils
Highest scoringJelgava 3-4 Daugava Rīga
Metta/LU 1-6 Ventspils
Jūrmala 6-1 Daugava Daugavpils
Daugava Rīga 2-5 Spartaks
Spartaks 3-4 Metta/LU
← 2011
2013 →

The league comprised ten teams, one more than in the previous season.

Teams

The league returned to a ten-team circuit after having been forced to play the 2011 season with only nine teams, following the withdrawal of SK Blāzma a few weeks before the season commenced. As a consequence of the Blāzma withdrawal, no team was directly relegated.

2011 Latvian First League champions FS METTA/Latvijas Universitāte from Riga were directly promoted. The team, which was founded by the METTA football school and the University of Latvia in 2007, entered the Higher League for the first time in their history.

JFK Olimps/RFS finished the 2011 season in ninth place and were therefore required to compete in a two-legged promotion/relegation play-off against First Division runners-up Spartaks Jūrmala. Spartaks won the play-off 4–1 on aggregate and were therefore promoted to the Higher League. Similar to METTA/LU, they made their debut at the highest level of the Latvian football pyramid. Accordingly, Olimps/RFS were relegated to the First League after five seasons at the top flight.

Stadiums and locations
Location of teams in the 2012 Latvian Higher League

Following the promotion of FK Spartaks, the city of Jūrmala should have featured three clubs during the 2012 season, one more than the capital, Riga, but FK Jūrmala-VV moved to Riga, changing their name to Daugava Riga.

Club Location Stadium Capacity
FC Daugava Daugavpils Daugava Stadium 4,100
FK Daugava Rīga Riga Daugava Stadium 5,000
FB Gulbene Gulbene Gulbenes Sporta Centrs 1,500
FK Jelgava Jelgava Zemgales Olimpiskais Sporta Centrs 2,200
FC Jūrmala Jūrmala Slokas Stadium 5,000
SK Liepājas Metalurgs Liepāja Daugava Stadium 5,083
FS Metta/LU Riga Rīgas 49. vidusskola Stadium 250
Skonto FC Riga Skonto Stadium 10,000
FK Spartaks Jūrmala Jūrmala Slokas Stadium 5,000
FK Ventspils Ventspils Olimpiskais Stadium 3,200

Personnel and kits

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
FC Daugava Ivan Tabanov Jurijs Sokolovs Erreà —
FK Daugava Rīga Jurijs Popkovs Vadims Gospodars Adidas —
FB Gulbene Mihails Koņevs Alberts Nikoļskis Erreà Piebalga
FK Jelgava Dainis Kazakevičs Valērijs Redjko Macron LDz Cargo
FC Jūrmala Vladimirs Pačko Maksims Daņilovs Givova —
SK Liepājas Metalurgs Jānis Intenbergs Tomas Tamošauskas Adidas —
FS Metta/LU Andris Riherts Romāns Rožkovskis Nike SMS Credit.lv
Skonto FC Marians Pahars Germans Māliņš Kappa —
FK Spartaks Jūrmala Arminas Narbekovas Nauris Bulvītis Masita —
FK Ventspils Jurģis Pučinskis Vitālijs Smirnovs Adidas VK Tranzīts

Managerial changes
Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Incoming manager Date of appointment
Daugava Daugavpils Leonid Nazarenko Sacked 2011-12-22 pre-season Ravil Sabitov 2011-12-22
Spartaks Jūrmala Artūrs Šketovs Sacked 2012-02-02 pre-season Oļegs Blagonadeždins 2012-02-02
Daugava Daugavpils Ravil Sabitov Sacked 2012-04-29[2] 5th Ivan Tabanov 2012-05-05
Liepājas Metalurgs Vladimirs Osipovs Sacked 2012-05-01[3] 6th Jānis Intenbergs 2012-05-24
FK Ventspils Sergey Podpaly Sacked 2012-05-18[4] 4th Jurģis Pučinskis 2012-05-18
Spartaks Jūrmala Oļegs Blagonadeždins Sacked 2012-07-20 4th Arminas Narbekovas 2012-07-23

Broadcasting

Just as last season most of the matches are transmitted live via sportacentrs.com online and sportacentrs TV channel.[5] In June 2012 broadcasting rights were also bought by the English company Bet365.[6] Since 2012 league's homepage futbolavirsliga.lv has been active and since September 2012 this website has been accompanied by InStat Football system, showing information and analysis of each match individually.[7] Since October 2012 Virslīga has also had its own analytical broadcast after each round of matches with football experts discussing about the games and future events connected to Latvian football. Its transmitted via sportacentrs TV.[8]

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Daugava Daugavpils (C) 36 23 9 4 64 25 +39 78 Qualification for Champions League second qualifying round
2 Skonto 36 21 11 4 58 22 +36 74 Qualification for Europa League first qualifying round
3 Ventspils 36 23 5 8 63 22 +41 74 Qualification for Europa League first qualifying round[lower-alpha 1]
4 Liepājas Metalurgs 36 21 7 8 60 33 +27 70 Qualification for Europa League first qualifying round
5 Spartaks Jūrmala 36 13 10 13 61 56 +5 49
6 Jūrmala 36 10 9 17 47 49 −2 39
7 Jelgava 36 7 10 19 32 56 −24 31
8 METTA/LU 36 7 8 21 39 82 −43 29
9 Daugava Rīga (O) 36 5 12 19 42 79 −37 27 Qualification for relegation play-offs
10 FB Gulbene (R) 36 5 9 22 28 70 −42 24 Relegation to Latvian First League
Source: LFF:Virslīga 2012
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd head-to-head points; 3rd head-to-head goal difference; 4th overall wins; 5th goal difference; 6th goals scored
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner; (R) Relegated.
Notes:
  1. Winners of the 2012–13 Latvian Football Cup.

Relegation play-offs

The 9th-placed sides will face the runners-up of the 2012 Latvian First League in a two-legged play-off, with the winner being awarded a spot in the 2013 Higher League competition. The dates and exact sequence of these matches are still to be determined.

FK Daugava Rīga1–0BFC Daugava
Broders  54' Report
Referee: Aleksandrs Golubevs
BFC Daugava1–3FK Daugava Rīga
Ostrovskis  68' Report  6' Gospodarjs
 21' Kapustas
 70' Kārkliņš

Results

Season statistics

Top scorers
As of 7 November 2012
Rank Player Club Goals
1 Mamuka Ghonghadze FC Daugava 18
2 Yōsuke Saito FB Gulbene/FK Ventspils 15
3 David Cortés FK Spartaks Jūrmala 12
Daniils Turkovs FK Ventspils
5 Antons Jemeļins FK Spartaks Jūrmala 11
Tadas Labukas Skonto FC
Valērijs Šabala Skonto FC
7 Stanley Ibe FC Daugava 10
Valērijs Afanasjevs SK Liepājas Metalurgs
Vladimirs Kamešs SK Liepājas Metalurgs
Mārtiņš Milašēvičs FS Metta/LU
Patrick Twumasi FK Spartaks Jūrmala
Vitālijs Ziļs FK Daugava Rīga

Player of the Month
Month Player Club
March/April[9] Yōsuke Saito Gulbene
May[10] Mamuka Ghonghadze Daugava Daugavpils
June[11] Valērijs Šabala Skonto Riga
July[12] Sergei Yashin Daugava Daugavpils
August[13] Rytis Leliūga Liepājas Metalurgs
September[14] Ģirts Karlsons Liepājas Metalurgs
October/November[15] Vladimirs Kamešs Liepājas Metalurgs

Manager of the Month
Month Manager Club
March/April[9] Marians Pahars Skonto Riga
May[10] Oļegs Blagonadeždins Spartaks Jūrmala
June[11] Marians Pahars Skonto Riga
July[12] Ivan Tabanov Daugava Daugavpils
August[13] Jurģis Pučinsks Ventspils
September[14] Andris Riherts Metta/LU
October/November[16] Ivan Tabanov Daugava Daugavpils

Team of the Tournament

LFF version
Position Player Club
Goalkeeper Germans Māliņš Skonto Riga
Defender Dmitri Polovinchuk Daugava Daugavpils
Defender Vitālijs Maksimenko Skonto Riga
Defender Igors Savčenkovs Skonto Riga
Defender Nauris Bulvītis Spartaks Jūrmala
Midfielder Daniel Ola Daugava Daugavpils
Midfielder Aleksandrs Fertovs Skonto Riga
Midfielder Ruslan Mingazov Skonto Riga
Forward Vladimirs Kamešs Liepājas Metalurgs
Forward Yosuke Saito Ventspils
Forward Mamuka Ghonghadze Daugava Daugavpils
Manager Ivan Tabanov Daugava Daugavpils

sportacentrs.com version
Position Player Club
Goalkeeper Maksims Uvarenko Ventspils
Defender Dmitri Polovinchuk Daugava Daugavpils
Defender Vitālijs Maksimenko Skonto Riga
Defender Vitālijs Smirnovs Ventspils
Defender Jurijs Sokolovs Daugava Daugavpils
Midfielder Daniel Ola Daugava Daugavpils
Midfielder Igors Tarasovs Ventspils
Midfielder Mihails Ziziļevs Daugava Daugavpils
Forward Vladimirs Kamešs Liepājas Metalurgs
Forward Ahmed Abdultaofik Ventspils
Forward Stanley Ibe Daugava Daugavpils
Manager Ivan Tabanov Daugava Daugavpils

Awards
LFF awards 2012
Category Winner Club
Best goalkeeper Germans Māliņš Skonto Riga
Best defender Vitālijs Maksimenko Skonto Riga
Best midfielder Vladimirs Kamešs Liepājas Metalurgs
Best forward Mamuka Ghonghadze Daugava Daugavpils
Top scorer Mamuka Ghonghadze Daugava Daugavpils
Best U-21 player Valērijs Šabala Skonto Riga
Best player Vladimirs Kamešs Liepājas Metalurgs
Best manager Ivan Tabanov Daugava Daugavpils
Fair play award Club Daugava Daugavpils
Best match organisation Club Metta/LU

References
  1. "2012.gada LATVIJAS FUTBOLA VIRSLĪGAS, SPĒĻU KALENDĀRS". Latvian Football Federation. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  2. "Daugavpils Daugava atlaiž galveno treneri Sabitovu". Diena.lv. 2012-05-01.
  3. "Osipovs atlaists no "Liepājas metalurgs" futbola komandas galvenā trenera amata". Kasjauns.lv. 2012-05-02.
  4. "FK "Ventspils" atlaiž galveno treneri Podpaliju". TVNET. 2012-05-17.
  5. "Sportacentrs TV – Sportacentrs.com". sportacentrs.com. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  6. "Pirmo reizi vēsturē pārdotas Latvijas virslīgas futbola čempionāta interneta translāciju tiesības | Kasjauns.lv". kasjauns.lv. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-02-19. Retrieved 2012-09-22.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-02-18. Retrieved 2012-11-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. Edmunds Novickis (2012-05-07). "Virslīgas marta/aprīļa labākais spēlētājs Saito, treneris - Pahars". Sportacentrs.com.
  10. Jānis Celmiņš (2012-06-05). "Virslīgas labākais spēlētājs maijā – Gongadze; treneris – Blagonadeždins". Sportacentrs.com.
  11. Andris Liepa (2012-07-10). "Labākie jūnijā - Šabala un Pahars". Sportacentrs.com.
  12. Jānis Celmiņš (2012-08-07). "Jūlijā labākie Daugavpils "Daugavas" pārstāvji Jašins un Tabanovs". Sportacentrs.com.
  13. Andrejs Siliņš (2012-09-10). "Virslīgas labākais augustā - Leliūga". Sportacentrs.com. Archived from the original on 2012-10-21.
  14. Andris Liepa (2012-10-04). "Labākie septembrī - Karlsons un Riherts". Sportacentrs.com.
  15. Andris Liepa (2012-11-07). "Oktobra/novembra labākais spēlētājs Kamešs, treneris – Tabanovs". Sportacentrs.com.
  16. Andris Liepa (2012-11-07). "Oktobra/novembra labākais spēlētājs Kamešs, treneris – Tabanovs". Sportacentrs.com.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.