by Jānis Vītols and Francis Plevoks
As the Latvian championship starts on the 5th of March, we offer a season preview of what to expect from whom in 2025.
The 2024 Tonybet Virslīga season was remarkable, with two prominent stories standing out: the dominance of FC RFS and the shocking collapse of FK Liepāja. FK Liepāja’s situation was so severe that there were real concerns about them getting relegated at the end of the season. However, after a summer rebuild, they managed to recover and finished the season in sixth place, ahead of FK Metta and FK Tukums 2000/TELMS.
A new entrant to the Virslīga, Grobiņas SC/LFS (now known as FK Grobiņa) brought excitement to the league, particularly by invigorating local football by means of the Liepāja derby against FK Liepāja, which immediately became one of the most thrilling rivalries of recent years.
At the start of 2024, BFC Daugavpils were the pre-season favorites for relegation. However, they surprised everyone by climbing to second place in the league table two months into the season and, ultimately, finishing fifth. This high position means that they will be able to apply for a spot in the UEFA Conference League, due to Valmiera FC crashing out of the Latvian top tier due to financial issues.
At the top end of the table, Riga FC continued to struggle in their attempts to dethrone FC RFS from the championship title. Despite RFS playing across all three fronts with a high match-load and multiple injuries in key positions, Riga FC’s early loss to Tukums 2000/TELMS and their first-ever slip-up against FK Auda likely cost them the title eventually.
The battle against relegation was also fierce, with FS Jelgava and Grobiņas SC/LFS competing for survival. Grobiņas SC/LFS, despite a disastrous second half of the season, managed to hold on to the ninth place, resulting in Jelgava finishing last and being relegated. They are, of course, back for 2025 because Valmiera did not meet the necessary criteria to participate.
In terms of the Champions, FC RFS had an extraordinary season – dubbed the ”Magic season” by the club – during which they not only won the domestic double but also reached the UEFA Europa League phase, where they became the first Latvian team to record a win (against Ajax Amsterdam at the Daugava Stadium) in the competition, collecting 5 points and finishing well above the widely-predicted bottom of the table in the process.
However, this success might come at a price heading into the new season. They started preparing for last season in January 2024 and could only afford to give the squad a 2-3 week break around Christmas ever since. As a result, the players might be fatigued, especially with their squad not being particularly young. They have experienced players across all positions, which will be an interesting factor as they compete in the league and prepare for another European campaign in the summer. Still, departures of some key players won’t help. Finnish U-21 international Adam Markhiev, their standout midfielder and one of the best foreign players in Virslīga history, moved to Aris Limassol, while their all-time top goalscorer, Emerson, left for Japan after five seasons with the club.
The replacements brought in are proven players from the Baltics, including Japanese midfielder Karashima from FK Žalgiris, Valmiera FC captain and Martinique international Jeremie Porsan-Clemente, and Mor Talla Gaye from FK Auda. However, given that the team struggled with injuries late in the past season and the average age of the starting lineup is around 27-28, the new players will need to step up if RFS is replicate their previous success and make history with a three-peat (3 titles in a row) in the Virslīga.
Who are the newcomers?
This season will also see the return of SK Super Nova, who were relegated from the Virslīga in 2023 after making their debut in 2022. They will return to Virslīga without the name “Salaspils”, which they previously adopted in exchange for being able to use the stadium in Salaspils. This time, they will play their home games at the LNK Sporta Parks in Riga.
Under the young but exciting manager Ervīns Pērkons, they are expected to be a team to watch, even if their ultimate ambitions lie at the bottom of the table. Pērkons previously led FS Jelgava to the Virslīga in 2023, showing an engaging style of football that caused issues even to major clubs, such as Riga FC. His tenure did not last back then, as ongoing disagreements with club ownership came to a head and he resigned early in the season, later securing appointment as the new manager of SK Super Nova.
Pērkons attracted some interesting new players for the upcoming season. Veteran defender Mārcis Ošs, a former Latvian international who spent the last season with RFS, will provide leadership and stability in defense next to Vējkrīgers, who performed well last season with Super Nova and previously with Jelgava. Additionally, Frenks Dāvis Orols joined on loan from RFS. Orols, of course, was instrumental in helping BFC Daugavpils finish fifth in the league last season – an achievement that also earned him a call-up to the senior Latvian national team.
Rivalries
The Big Riga Derby is, perhaps, the most exciting of the derbies in the Baltics to look forward to. It’s always a party when Riga FC and RFS play each other, especially at the iconic Skonto Stadium. With RFS winning the first Virsliga derby of last season and Riga taking the last, RFS, with Viktors Morozs at the helm, will look forward to taking on his 10th Riga FC manager. Yes, that’s how many managers Riga FC had since the former Latvia international was unexpectedly elevated to the hot seat at RFS back in February 2020. The first Big Riga derby, other than the Super Cup on the 1st of March, will be on the 26th of April and the first Big Riga derby at Skonto on the 18th of June.
Liepaja vs Grobina derby – the Liepaja derby – will continue into its second year and should be no less exciting than the year before. Liepaja are undergoing yet another rebuild while Grobina secured a committed investor who is injecting extra cash into the club. How will this affect the team? We will find out already on 16th of March.
Players to watch
Kristaps Grabovskis – On loan from Rapid Wien until the summer, Kristaps Grabovskis is set to continue his first real experience in senior football. The 19-year-old winger, though relatively small in stature, has made a strong impression in the Virslīga. He has been highly visible on the pitch, scoring twice, providing an assist, and earning praise from head coach Andris Riherts – not just for his performances but also for his professionalism off the field. Recently, FK Metta’s head coach stated that Grabovskis is just one step away from the Latvia national team – a bold claim for a teenager whose career abroad has yet to take off. However, there is no doubt about his exceptional talent.
Jānis Ikaunieks – Recently named Latvia’s Footballer of the Year, will undoubtedly be in the spotlight during the upcoming Virslīga season. Last year, he scored 16 goals, provided 7 assists, and played a key role in RFS’s qualification for the UEFA Europa League. As one of the league’s standout performers, Ikaunieks is expected to remain a dominant and influential presence in the Virslīga next season.
Mor Talla – The shortest player in the Virslīga but one of the quickest, Talla made a winter move from FK Auda to reigning champions FC RFS. He has already impressed during the club’s winter training camp, earning a spot in the starting lineup and receiving praise from RFS general director Māris Verpakovskis, who described him as a valuable addition. Last season, Talla recorded 6 goals and 8 assists in the Virslīga. Given RFS’s playing system, his numbers could improve even further—provided he maintains regular playing time.
Joao Grimaldo – It’s always intriguing to watch a player representing their national team make the move to the Virslīga. Just a year and a half ago, Partizan signed him for nearly €1.5 million, and his current Transfermarkt value stands at €1 million. With eight appearances for the Peru national team – including a match against Messi and Argentina – and a track record as one of the top performers in the Peruvian league, he is undoubtedly a player worth keeping an eye on.
Enzo Monteiro – Enzo Monteiro’s story is similar, though he is even younger. At just 20 years old, he has already earned five caps for the Bolivian national team and was a standout player for Santos FC’s U20 squad, even making his debut for the first team – the same club that produced the likes of Neymar and Robinho. The young Bolivian remains a bit of an unknown, and this will be his first experience in European football. However, if he makes a big impact for FK Auda, don’t be surprised.
Season predictions
The top 3 in 2024 stayed exactly the same as it was in 2023, suggesting that a degree of stability may be setting on the Latvian top tier. A more in-depth look, however, paints a different picture. While the top 2 – RFS and Riga – are likely to remain the two dominant forces in Latvian football for years to come, there were and are expected to be fierce fights for places 3 and 4. The ‘bottom 6’ are also going into 2025 very evenly matched and anything can happen in that part of the table, especially with new UEFA solidarity payments almost doubling annual budgets of many of those clubs for the next three years.
Still, we expect the 2025 table to look as follows:
- FC RFS
- Riga FC
- FK Auda
- FK Liepāja
- FK Metta
- BFC Daugavpils
- SK Super Nova
- FS Jelgava
- FK Grobiņa
- Tukums 2000/TELMS
When does it start and where to watch?
The Virslīga kicks-off on the 5th of March with FK Auda hosting defending Champions FC RFS. All games will be available to enjoy free of charge via the homepage of the league and selected matches will be available to international audiences via the OneFootball app. Please note that the first option is geo restricted to the Baltic states, so unless you are physically in Latvia, Lithuania or Estonia but would like to enjoy games with commentary, it may be worth looking into one of the many VPN services.
