Following the final match of the Virslīga promotion playoffs, referee Andris Treimanis published a sharply critical Facebook post, accusing JDFS Alberts supporters and members of the club’s management of endangering the safety of him and his officiating team during the match, during the breaks, and even after the final whistle. Alberts head coach Arturs Zakreševskis later responded with his own statement, and the Latvian Football Federation eventually issued an official reaction as well.
FK Grobiņa secured their place in the Virslīga for the 2026 season thanks to Aleksejs Grjaznovs’ first-half goal, which gave them a 1-0 victory over JDFS Alberts – also the aggregate score across the two-leg playoff. For the second year in a row, Grobiņa retained their Virslīga status through the promotion/relegation playoff at the expense of Alberts. However, the on-field result was overshadowed by the controversy surrounding the match.
Tension was already high during the match, officiated by Andris Treimanis – Latvia’s most accomplished referee, known internationally for managing major fixtures, including the final of the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup. In Rīga, however, he found himself at the center of chaos. Treimanis showed two red cards to Alberts players and awarded a penalty against the home side, decisions that inflamed Alberts supporters and officials. Club vice-president Jānis Pakalns later summed up the mood by saying it felt like “the Grinch stole Christmas,” implying that VAR and the refereeing team had ripped away the club’s biggest moment.
The situation escalated dramatically that same evening, when Treimanis published an unusually raw and emotional Facebook post. He wrote that in nearly three decades of officiating in Latvia, he had “never experienced such mass hostility.” He described how young Alberts academy players mocked the referees by offering coins, while adults hurled insults, threats, and accusations of corruption.
According to Treimanis, stadium security “did nothing at all” to control the situation. He said that during VAR checks, the Alberts vice-president stood barely a meter away attempting to influence decisions, and that at halftime the officials were “surrounded, shouted at, pushed, and even spat on.” He warned that if such scenes are normalized, “this is not football – this is the death of sport.”
Today, JDFS Alberts head coach Arturs Zakreševskis issued his own statement – calmer in tone, but firm in its points. He condemned any threats or insults directed at referees, saying, “No emotion justifies attacking officials. We do not support that.” But he also raised serious concerns about broader issues surrounding the match.
Zakreševskis criticized the decision to play on what he called a “dangerous, waterlogged pitch”, questioned the placement of the VAR monitor where supporters could gather around it, and pointed to what he viewed as critical mistakes in decision-making during such a decisive match. He added, “Our supporters’ frustration did not come out of nowhere, but it should never have crossed certain lines – especially not involving children.” He congratulated Grobiņa on their promotion and praised his own team – largely built from academy-grown and amateur players – for pushing professional-level opponents to the limit.
The Latvian Football Federation also reacted today with an official statement expressing “deep disappointment” about the scenes surrounding the match. LFF stressed that intense emotions, regardless of the stakes, cannot excuse aggression or disrespect toward referees, players, or staff, and confirmed that all incidents will be reviewed by its disciplinary bodies.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/arturs.zakresevskis/posts/pfbid022wB2VHmDcQxT5n4e52YWfScSRTRdNYZQDXr1uWJX4vGcmkdSk5CNjQTp9QDVK4A2l
https://lff.lv/zinas/18663/futbola-nav-vietas-vardarbibai/
