SK Super Nova

SK Super Nova is a professional football club based in Rīga, Latvia. The club was established in 2000 when a school teacher formed a team called Super Nova for his students to play football. The primary goal was for the team to participate in various Latvian youth football competitions.

In 2002, Jānis Engelis, a recent graduate and a freshman at the Latvian Academy of Sports Education, was invited to serve as a volunteer coach for the team. A few months later, he took on the role of club president. The club focused solely on youth leagues for the first decade, developing its academy status.

After several successful years in youth football, the club joined the Latvian football pyramid, starting from the lowest league. In their first year, they achieved promotion to the second division. In the 2018 and 2019 seasons, Super Nova finished second in the second division, narrowly missing the chance to reach the Virslīga as they lost on aggregate to FK Metta in the promotion-relegation matches.

Despite finishing third in the second tier in 2021, SK Super Nova, for the first time in their history, were promoted to the Virslīga because Jūrmalas Noah and FK Ventspils had to withdraw from competing in the Latvian top tier. Being true to their core as one of the largest academy systems in Latvia, Super Nova announced that they will attempt to play the Virslīga with almost exclusively their academy players. They (nominally) relocated to Salaspils, a town near the capital with a suitable but vacant stadium, changing name to Super Nova Salaspils. This Super Nova side finished last in their debut season in the Virslīga but avoided relegation when Jūrmalas Spartaks failed to get the license for season 2023 and, subsequently, perished out of existence. In 2023, they changed strategy, placing much higher emphasis on experienced Latvian players at the end of their careers but, again, finished last and were relegated from the Virslīga.

A season in the second tier, however, did not go to waste. The club made significant staffing changes, including hiring a new coach and professional marketing staff, and, under new manager Ervīns Pērkons, they secured the title in the second division and are set to return to the Virslīga for the 2025 season.