After five successful seasons with FC RFS, Czech defender Petr Mareš has announced that Friday’s Rīga derby against Riga FC will be his final match for the club.
The 34-year-old full-back arrived in Latvia ahead of the 2021 season and quickly established himself as one of the team’s leaders and symbols of consistency. In his debut year, Mareš played a key role in helping RFS secure their first-ever Virslīga title, marking the beginning of a golden era for the club.
During his five-year spell, Mareš contributed to six of the seven trophies in RFS history – three Virslīga titles, two Latvian Cups, and one Latvian Super Cup.
Although RFS fell short of major silverware this season, Mareš delivered arguably the best campaign of his career, recording three goals and 15 assists in 33 appearances.
In an emotional farewell video shared by the club, Mareš expressed his gratitude:
“After five fantastic years, it’s not easy, but the time has come to say goodbye. I want to thank everyone in the RFS organization – the players, coaches, staff, and the president – for your support and for so many wonderful moments. I will miss you all, but I will never forget this time.”
Mareš was also a key figure during RFS’s brightest European moments, helping the team reach the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage and, last season, the UEFA Europa League phase. In total, he has made 194 appearances for the club – the fourth-most in RFS history – while his 53 assists rank second only to Roberts Savaļnieks.
Before joining RFS, Mareš played several seasons in the Czech First League, and the Rīga club was his first and his only venture abroad so far.
