FK Grobiņa have dismissed long-serving head coach Viktors Dobrecovs after Sunday’s 0–1 defeat to local rivals FK Liepāja in the final Liepāja city derby of the season. Former Latvian international and assistant coach at Valmiera FC Oskars Kļava will take over on an interim basis.
Dobrecovs, who had been in charge since 2017, guided Grobiņa to the 2023 Nākotnes līga title and secured the club’s first-ever promotion to the Virslīga. But life in the top flight has proved far more challenging, with ‘the Cranes’ narrowly avoiding relegation last season. With six matches left to play in this season, Grobiņa sit bottom of the table in 10th place and, despite a significant injection in funding in 2025, find themselves in a similar predicament to before.
Despite a spirited performance against Liepāja, the team once again came up short in front of goal and were punished deep into stoppage time. It marked their 19th defeat of the campaign, adding to six wins and five draws in 30 matches.
Kļava, who will act as caretaker head coach, now faces three consecutive fixtures against direct relegation rivals Metta, Super Nova and Tukums 2000. Those matches are likely to determine whether Grobiņa can preserve their Virslīga status or are forced into the relegation play-offs.
The change marks the end of an era for both the club and Dobrecovs, a legendary striker with historic Liepājas Metalurgs who lifted the Virslīga title with Liepāja back in 2015 and was central to Grobiņa’s rise through the divisions, but could not translate that experience into top-tier stability.
Source: https://www.liepajniekiem.lv/sports/futbols/pirms-sezonas-svarigaka-nogriezna-fk-grobina-atvadas-no-viktora-dobrecova/
