Slovakia’s top-tier newcomers Tatran Prešov have officially announced the signing of 27-year-old Latvian national team center-back Daniels Balodis. The experienced defender joins the club as a free agent on a two-year deal.
Latvian defender Balodis has joined Slovak side Tatran Prešov, marking his fourth club in just one year. The move follows a short but impactful stint at Scottish Premiership side St. Johnstone, where he arrived in January from Latvian champions RFS.
Balodis made 16 appearances for St. Johnstone, scoring twice — including a memorable winner against Celtic. Despite his contributions, the club was relegated at the end of the season, triggering a clause in his contract that allowed him to leave on a free transfer.
He now joins Tatran Prešov, Slovakia’s oldest football club, founded in 1898. After a difficult spell that saw them relegated from the top flight in 2018 and fall to the third tier by 2019, Tatran have completed a remarkable comeback. They won the third division in 2022 and dominated the second tier this past season, finishing 11 points clear to earn automatic promotion — finally returning to the top level after several failed playoff attempts.
Balodis brings valuable experience to the squad. He has earned 19 caps for Latvia, scoring once, and has featured for a number of Latvian clubs including Skonto, RFS, BFC Daugavpils, and FK Jelgava. He also played in four UEFA Europa League phase matches with RFS last season. His most successful stint came with Valmiera FC, where he made 118 appearances, scored six goals, and helped them win the Latvian league title in 2022.
Tatran Prešov will kick off their top-flight campaign this Saturday with a home fixture against reigning Slovak champions Slovan Bratislava.
