2013 Latvian Higher League

The 2013 Latvian Higher League was the 22nd season of top-tier football in Latvia. FC Daugava were the defending champions. The season started on 29 March 2013.[1]

Latvian Higher League
Season2013
Matches played135
Goals scored392 (2.9 per match)
Top goalscorerArtūrs Karašausks
Andrejs Kovaļovs
(16 goals)
Biggest home winFK Daugava 7-1 Ilūkstes NSS
Biggest away winIlūkstes NSS 2-10 SK Liepājas Metalurgs
Highest scoringIlūkstes NSS 2-10 SK Liepājas Metalurgs
Longest winning runFK Ventspils, Skonto FC (6)
Longest unbeaten runSkonto FC (26)
Longest losing runIlūkstes NSS (7)
← 2012
2014 →

The league comprised ten teams. The champions of this season were FK Ventspils, followed by Skonto FC

Teams

The league had a ten-team circuit like the 2012 season. 2012 Latvian First League champions Ilūkstes NSS from Ilūkste were directly promoted.

FK Daugava Rīga finished the 2012 season in ninth place and were therefore required to compete in a two-legged promotion/relegation play-off against First Division runners-up BFC Daugava. FK Daugava Riga won the play-off 4–1 on aggregate and therefore stayed in the Higher League.

Stadiums and locations
Location of teams in the 2013 Latvian Higher League
Club Location Stadium Capacity
FC Daugava Daugavpils Daugava Stadium 4,100
FK Daugava Rīga Riga Daugava Stadium 5,000
Ilūkstes NSS Ilūkste Ilūkstes pilsētas stadions 500
FK Jelgava Jelgava Zemgales Olimpiskais Sporta Centrs 2,200
FC Jūrmala Jūrmala Slokas Stadium 5,000
SK Liepājas Metalurgs Liepāja Daugava Stadium 6,000
FS Metta/LU Riga Stadions Arkādija 500
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 Daugavpils Ivan Tabanov Daniel Ola Erreà —
FK Daugava Rīga Virginijus Liubšys Mantas Savenas Nike —
Ilūkstes NSS Alens Vinakurovs Dmitri Kozlov Erreà —
FK Jelgava Sergejs Golubevs Deniss Petrenko Macron Igate
FC Jūrmala Mihails Koņevs Alberts Nikoļskis Givova —
SK Liepājas Metalurgs Jānis Intenbergs Antons Jemeļins Adidas —
FS Metta/LU Andris Riherts Artūrs Biezais Nike SMS Credit.lv
Skonto FC Tamaz Pertia Juris Laizāns Jako Granat Investment
FK Spartaks Jūrmala Jurijs Popkovs Dmitrijs Daņilovs Nike —
FK Ventspils Jurģis Pučinsks Vitālijs Smirnovs Adidas VK Tranzīts

Managerial changes
Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Incoming manager Date of appointment
Jelgava Dainis Kazakevičs Own decision 4 December 2012 Pre-Season Jānis Dreimanis 20 December 2012
Skonto Marians Pahars Own decision 22 December 2012 Pre-Season Tamaz Pertia 22 December 2012
FK Daugava Rīga Jurijs Popkovs End of contract 27 December 2012 Pre-Season Virginijus Liubšys 27 December 2012
FC Jūrmala Vladimir Pachko End of contract 9 January 2013 Pre-Season Mihails Koņevs 9 January 2013
Spartaks Arminas Narbekovas End of contract 10 December 2012 Pre-Season Oleg Kubarev 7 February 2013
Ilūkste Alens Vinakurovs Own decision 6 March 2013 Pre-Season Vladimir Pachko 6 March 2013
Jelgava Jānis Dreimanis Health issues 22 March 2013 Pre-Season Sergejs Golubevs 22 March 2013
Spartaks Oleg Kubarev Sacked 27 July 2013 5th Aleksandrs Stradiņš 27 July 2013
Spartaks Aleksandrs Stradiņš Sacked 22 September 2013 6th Jurijs Popkovs 22 September 2013
Ilūkste Vladimir Pachko Own decision End of September 10th Alens Vinakurovs End of September

Broadcasting

As in the previous season most of the matches are being transmitted live via sportacentrs.com online and sportacentrs TV channel.[2] In June 2012 broadcasting rights were also bought by the English company Bet365.[3] Since 2012, the league's homepage futbolavirsliga.lv has been active and since September 2012 this website has been accompanied by the InStat Football system, showing information and analysis of each match individually.[4] Since October 2012, the Virslīga has also had its own analytical broadcast after each round of matches with football experts discussing the games and future events connected to Latvian football. It is transmitted via sportacentrs TV.[5]

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Ventspils (C) 27 21 4 2 65 19 +46 67 Qualification for Champions League second qualifying round
2 Skonto 27 18 8 1 68 11 +57 62 Excluded from European competitions[lower-alpha 1]
3 Daugava Daugavpils 27 15 7 5 44 19 +25 52 Qualification for Europa League first qualifying round
4 Daugava Rīga 27 14 6 7 44 21 +23 48
5 Liepājas Metalurgs 27 11 7 9 54 35 +19 40 The Club was dissolved after the season
6 Jūrmala 27 7 5 15 20 52 −32 26
7 Spartaks Jūrmala 27 7 4 16 30 49 −19 25
8 Jelgava 27 5 8 14 26 46 −20 23 Qualification for Europa League first qualifying round
9 METTA/LU (O) 27 4 7 16 15 47 −32 19 Qualification for relegation play-offs
10 Ilūkstes NSS (R) 27 2 6 19 26 93 −67 12 Relegation to Latvian First League
Source: LFF:Virslīga 2013
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. The winners of the 2013–14 Latvian Football Cup competition will qualify for the first qualifying round of the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League.
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner; (R) Relegated.
Notes:
  1. UEFA barred Skonto from European competitions for three years for falling foul of Financial Fair Play regulations.[6]

Relegation play-offs

The 9th-placed sides will face the runners-up of the 2013 Latvian First League in a two-legged play-off, with the winner being awarded a spot in the 2014 Higher League competition.

FS METTA/LU1–0FB Gulbene
Vapne  72' (pen.)
Hanzas vidusskolas laukums, Riga
FB Gulbene2–4FS METTA/LU
Rimkus  26'
Kazura  33'		 Kalniņš  11', 85', 88'
Milašēvičs  67' (pen.)
Hanzas vidusskolas laukums, Riga

FS METTA/LU won 5–2 on aggregate.

Results

Season statistics

Top scorers
As of 9 November 2013
Rank Player Club Goals
1 Artūrs Karašausks Skonto FC 16
Andrejs Kovaļovs FC Daugava
2 Valērijs Šabala Skonto FC 15
3 Mantas Savėnas Daugava Rīga 12
Vadim Yanchuk FK Ventspils
4 Daniils Turkovs FK Ventspils 11
5 Povilas Lukšys Daugava Rīga 10

Player of the Month
Month Player Club
March/April[7] Mantas Savenas FK Daugava Rīga
May[8] Patrick Twumasi FK Spartaks Jūrmala
June[9] Andrejs Kovaļovs FC Daugava
July[10] Paulius Grybauskas Skonto FC
August[11] Ruslan Mingazow Skonto FC
September[12] Juris Laizāns Skonto FC
October/November[13] Kaspars Ikstens FK Jelgava

Manager of the Month
Month Manager Club
March/April[7] Virginijus Liubšys FK Daugava Rīga
May[8] Jurģis Pučinsks FK Ventspils
June[9] Tamaz Pertia Skonto FC
July[10] Jurģis Pučinsks FK Ventspils
August[11] Jurģis Pučinsks FK Ventspils
September[12] Sergejs Golubevs FK Jelgava
October/November[13] Jurģis Pučinsks FK Ventspils

Team of the Tournament

LFF version
Position Player Club
Goalkeeper Paulius Grybauskas Skonto FC
Defender Antons Kurakins FK Ventspils
Defender Vitālijs Smirnovs FK Ventspils
Defender Nauris Bulvītis Skonto FC
Defender Vladislavs Gabovs Skonto FC
Midfielder Jurijs Žigajevs FK Ventspils
Midfielder Aleksandrs Fertovs Skonto FC
Midfielder Juris Laizāns Skonto FC
Midfielder Ruslan Mingazov Skonto FC
Forward Vadim Yanchuk FK Ventspils
Forward Valērijs Šabala Skonto FC
Manager Jurģis Pučinsks FK Ventspils

Sporta Avīze version
Position Player Club
Goalkeeper Paulius Grybauskas Skonto FC
Defender Vladislavs Gabovs Skonto FC
Defender Kaspars Dubra FK Ventspils
Defender Renārs Rode Skonto FC
Midfielder Jurijs Žigajevs FK Ventspils
Midfielder Valērijs Afanasjevs FK Liepājas Metalurgs
Midfielder Juris Laizāns Skonto FC
Midfielder Ruslan Mingazov Skonto FC
Midfielder Andrejs Kovaļovs FC Daugava
Forward Artūrs Karašausks Skonto FC
Forward Valērijs Šabala Skonto FC
Manager Tamaz Pertia Skonto FC

sportacentrs.com version
Position Player Club
Goalkeeper Paulius Grybauskas Skonto FC
Defender Antons Kurakins FK Ventspils
Defender Renārs Rode Skonto FC
Defender Kaspars Dubra FK Ventspils
Defender Vladislavs Gabovs Skonto FC
Midfielder Juris Laizāns Skonto FC
Midfielder Jurijs Žigajevs FK Ventspils
Midfielder Andrejs Kovaļovs FC Daugava
Midfielder Ruslan Mingazov Skonto FC
Forward Daniils Turkovs FK Ventspils
Forward Artūrs Karašausks Skonto FC
Manager Jurģis Pučinsks FK Ventspils

Awards
LFF awards 2013
Category Winner Club
Best goalkeeper Paulius Grybauskas Skonto FC
Best defender Vladislavs Gabovs Skonto FC
Best midfielder Jurijs Žigajevs FK Ventspils
Best forward Valērijs Šabala Skonto FC
Top scorer Artūrs Karašausks / Andrejs Kovaļovs Skonto FC / FC Daugava
Best U-21 player Jevgēņijs Kazačoks FK Spartaks Jūrmala
Best player Jurijs Žigajevs FK Ventspils
Best manager Jurģis Pučinsks FK Ventspils
Goal of the season Jurijs Žigajevs vs FK Spartaks Jūrmala[14] FK Ventspils
Fair play award Club award FC Jūrmala
Best match organisation Club award FK Liepājas Metalurgs

References
  1. "Virslīgas 2013.gada sezona sāksies 29.martā" (in Latvian). Futbolavirsliga.lv. Archived from the original on 2013-01-09. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  2. "sportacentrs.com". sportacentrs.com. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  3. "Pirmo reizi vēsturē pārdotas Latvijas virslīgas futbola čempionāta interneta translāciju tiesības | Kasjauns.lv". kasjauns.lv. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-02-19. Retrieved 2013-03-25.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-02-18. Retrieved 2013-03-25.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. Protecting The Game: Metalurh, Skonto excluded; Petrolul cleared - UEFA.com, 4 April 2014
  7. Edmunds Novickis (2013-05-02). "Par mēneša labāko spēlētāju atzīts Savens, bet treneri – Ļubšis". Sportacentrs.com.
  8. Edmunds Novickis (2013-06-05). "Maija labākais spēlētājs Virslīgā - Tvumasi". Sportacentrs.com.
  9. Jānis Pārums (2013-07-02). "Virslīgas labākais spēlētājs jūnijā - Kovaļovs". Sportacentrs.com.
  10. Edmunds Novickis (2013-08-05). "Par Virslīgas labākajiem jūlijā tiek atzīti Gribausks un Pučinsks". Sportacentrs.com.
  11. Jānis Celmiņš (2013-09-04). "Virslīgas mēneša labākais spēlētājs - Mingazovs, treneris – Pučinskis". Sportacentrs.com.
  12. Edmunds Novickis (2013-10-07). "Septembra labākais treneris - jelgavnieks Golubevs, spēlētājs - Laizāns". Sportacentrs.com.
  13. Jānis Rubulis (2013-11-14). "SMScredit.lv Virslīgas mēneša labākie - Ikstens un Pučinsks". Sportacentrs.com.
  14. Egils Broks (2013-09-28). "Video: Žigajevs gūst fantastiskus vārtus šķērītē". Sportacentrs.com.
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