2012 Latvian Higher League

Summary

The 2012 Latvian Higher League was the 21st season of top-tier football in Latvia. It began on 24 March 2012 and ended on 10 November 2012.[1]FK Ventspils are the defending champions.

Latvian Higher League
Season2012
ChampionsFC Daugava
RelegatedFB Gulbene
Champions LeagueFC Daugava
Europa LeagueSkonto Riga
FK Ventspils
SK Liepājas Metalurgs
Matches played180
Goals scored494 (2.74 per match)
Top goalscorerMamuka Ghonghadze (18)
Biggest home winJūrmala 6-1 Daugava Daugavpils
Skonto Rīga 5-0 Metta/LU
Ventspils 5-0 Daugava Rīga
Biggest away winMetta/LU 1-6 Ventspils
Gulbene 2005 0-5 Ventspils
Metta/LU 0-5 Daugava Daugavpils
Highest scoringJelgava 3-4 Daugava Rīga
Metta/LU 1-6 Ventspils
Jūrmala 6-1 Daugava Daugavpils
Daugava Rīga 2-5 Spartaks
Spartaks 3-4 Metta/LU
2011
2013

The league comprised ten teams, one more than in the previous season.

Teams edit

The league returned to a ten-team circuit after having been forced to play the 2011 season with only nine teams, following the withdrawal of SK Blāzma a few weeks before the season commenced. As a consequence of the Blāzma withdrawal, no team was directly relegated.

2011 Latvian First League champions FS METTA/Latvijas Universitāte from Riga were directly promoted. The team, which was founded by the METTA football school and the University of Latvia in 2007, entered the Higher League for the first time in their history.

JFK Olimps/RFS finished the 2011 season in ninth place and were therefore required to compete in a two-legged promotion/relegation play-off against First Division runners-up Spartaks Jūrmala. Spartaks won the play-off 4–1 on aggregate and were therefore promoted to the Higher League. Similar to METTA/LU, they made their debut at the highest level of the Latvian football pyramid. Accordingly, Olimps/RFS were relegated to the First League after five seasons at the top flight.

Stadiums and locations edit

class=notpageimage|
Location of teams in the 2012 Latvian Higher League

Following the promotion of FK Spartaks, the city of Jūrmala should have featured three clubs during the 2012 season, one more than the capital, Riga, but FK Jūrmala-VV moved to Riga, changing their name to Daugava Riga.

Club Location Stadium Capacity
  FC Daugava Daugavpils Daugava Stadium 4,100
  FK Daugava Rīga Riga Daugava Stadium 5,000
  FB Gulbene Gulbene Gulbenes Sporta Centrs 1,500
  FK Jelgava Jelgava Zemgales Olimpiskais Sporta Centrs 2,200
  FC Jūrmala Jūrmala Slokas Stadium 5,000
  SK Liepājas Metalurgs Liepāja Daugava Stadium 5,083
  FS Metta/LU Riga Rīgas 49. vidusskola Stadium 250
  Skonto FC Riga Skonto Stadium 10,000
  FK Spartaks Jūrmala Jūrmala Slokas Stadium 5,000
  FK Ventspils Ventspils Olimpiskais Stadium 3,200

Personnel and kits edit

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
FC Daugava   Ivan Tabanov   Jurijs Sokolovs Erreà
FK Daugava Rīga   Jurijs Popkovs   Vadims Gospodars Adidas
FB Gulbene   Mihails Koņevs   Alberts Nikoļskis Erreà Piebalga
FK Jelgava   Dainis Kazakevičs   Valērijs Redjko Macron LDz Cargo
FC Jūrmala   Vladimirs Pačko   Maksims Daņilovs Givova
SK Liepājas Metalurgs   Jānis Intenbergs   Tomas Tamošauskas Adidas
FS Metta/LU   Andris Riherts   Romāns Rožkovskis Nike SMS Credit.lv
Skonto FC   Marians Pahars   Germans Māliņš Kappa
FK Spartaks Jūrmala   Arminas Narbekovas   Nauris Bulvītis Masita
FK Ventspils   Jurģis Pučinskis   Vitālijs Smirnovs Adidas VK Tranzīts

Managerial changes edit

Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Incoming manager Date of appointment
Daugava Daugavpils   Leonid Nazarenko Sacked 2011-12-22 pre-season   Ravil Sabitov 2011-12-22
Spartaks Jūrmala   Artūrs Šketovs Sacked 2012-02-02 pre-season   Oļegs Blagonadeždins 2012-02-02
Daugava Daugavpils   Ravil Sabitov Sacked 2012-04-29[2] 5th   Ivan Tabanov 2012-05-05
Liepājas Metalurgs   Vladimirs Osipovs Sacked 2012-05-01[3] 6th   Jānis Intenbergs 2012-05-24
FK Ventspils   Sergey Podpaly Sacked 2012-05-18[4] 4th   Jurģis Pučinskis 2012-05-18
Spartaks Jūrmala   Oļegs Blagonadeždins Sacked 2012-07-20 4th   Arminas Narbekovas 2012-07-23

Broadcasting edit

Just as last season most of the matches were transmitted live via sportacentrs.com online and Sportacentrs' TV channel.[5] In June 2012 broadcasting rights were also bought by the English company Bet365.[6] Since 2012 league's homepage futbolavirsliga.lv has been active and since September 2012 this website has been accompanied by InStat Football system, showing information and analysis of each match individually.[7] Since October 2012 Virslīga has also had its own analytical broadcast after each round of matches, with football experts discussing the games and future events connected to Latvian football. It's transmitted via Sportacentrs TV.[8]

League table edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Daugava Daugavpils (C) 36 23 9 4 64 25 +39 78 Qualification for Champions League second qualifying round
2 Skonto 36 21 11 4 58 22 +36 74 Qualification for Europa League first qualifying round
3 Ventspils 36 23 5 8 63 22 +41 74 Qualification for Europa League first qualifying round[a]
4 Liepājas Metalurgs 36 21 7 8 60 33 +27 70 Qualification for Europa League first qualifying round
5 Spartaks Jūrmala 36 13 10 13 61 56 +5 49
6 Jūrmala 36 10 9 17 47 49 −2 39
7 Jelgava 36 7 10 19 32 56 −24 31
8 METTA/LU 36 7 8 21 39 82 −43 29
9 Daugava Rīga (O) 36 5 12 19 42 79 −37 27 Qualification for relegation play-offs
10 FB Gulbene (R) 36 5 9 22 28 70 −42 24 Relegation to Latvian First League
Source: LFF:Virslīga 2012
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd head-to-head points; 3rd head-to-head goal difference; 4th overall wins; 5th goal difference; 6th goals scored
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated
Notes:

Relegation play-offs edit

The 9th-placed sides will face the runners-up of the 2012 Latvian First League in a two-legged play-off, with the winner being awarded a spot in the 2013 Higher League competition. The dates and exact sequence of these matches are still to be determined.

FK Daugava Rīga1–0BFC Daugava
Broders   54' Report
Referee: Aleksandrs Golubevs

BFC Daugava1–3FK Daugava Rīga
Ostrovskis   68' Report   6' Gospodarjs
  21' Kapustas
  70' Kārkliņš

Results edit

Season statistics edit

Top scorers edit

As of 7 November 2012
Rank Player Club Goals
1   Mamuka Ghonghadze FC Daugava 18
2   Yōsuke Saito FB Gulbene/FK Ventspils 15
3   David Cortés FK Spartaks Jūrmala 12
  Daniils Turkovs FK Ventspils
5   Antons Jemeļins FK Spartaks Jūrmala 11
  Tadas Labukas Skonto FC
  Valērijs Šabala Skonto FC
7   Stanley Ibe FC Daugava 10
  Valērijs Afanasjevs SK Liepājas Metalurgs
  Vladimirs Kamešs SK Liepājas Metalurgs
  Mārtiņš Milašēvičs FS Metta/LU
  Patrick Twumasi FK Spartaks Jūrmala
  Vitālijs Ziļs FK Daugava Rīga

Player of the Month edit

Month Player Club
March/April[9]   Yōsuke Saito Gulbene
May[10]   Mamuka Ghonghadze Daugava Daugavpils
June[11]   Valērijs Šabala Skonto Riga
July[12]   Sergei Yashin Daugava Daugavpils
August[13]   Rytis Leliūga Liepājas Metalurgs
September[14]   Ģirts Karlsons Liepājas Metalurgs
October/November[15]   Vladimirs Kamešs Liepājas Metalurgs

Manager of the Month edit

Month Manager Club
March/April[9]   Marians Pahars Skonto Riga
May[10]   Oļegs Blagonadeždins Spartaks Jūrmala
June[11]   Marians Pahars Skonto Riga
July[12]   Ivan Tabanov Daugava Daugavpils
August[13]   Jurģis Pučinsks Ventspils
September[14]   Andris Riherts Metta/LU
October/November[16]   Ivan Tabanov Daugava Daugavpils

Team of the Tournament edit

LFF version edit

Position Player Club
Goalkeeper   Germans Māliņš Skonto Riga
Defender   Dmitri Polovinchuk Daugava Daugavpils
Defender   Vitālijs Maksimenko Skonto Riga
Defender   Igors Savčenkovs Skonto Riga
Defender   Nauris Bulvītis Spartaks Jūrmala
Midfielder   Daniel Ola Daugava Daugavpils
Midfielder   Aleksandrs Fertovs Skonto Riga
Midfielder   Ruslan Mingazov Skonto Riga
Forward   Vladimirs Kamešs Liepājas Metalurgs
Forward   Yosuke Saito Ventspils
Forward   Mamuka Ghonghadze Daugava Daugavpils
Manager   Ivan Tabanov Daugava Daugavpils

Sportacentrs.com version edit

Position Player Club
Goalkeeper   Maksims Uvarenko Ventspils
Defender   Dmitri Polovinchuk Daugava Daugavpils
Defender   Vitālijs Maksimenko Skonto Riga
Defender   Vitālijs Smirnovs Ventspils
Defender   Jurijs Sokolovs Daugava Daugavpils
Midfielder   Daniel Ola Daugava Daugavpils
Midfielder   Igors Tarasovs Ventspils
Midfielder   Mihails Ziziļevs Daugava Daugavpils
Forward   Vladimirs Kamešs Liepājas Metalurgs
Forward   Ahmed Abdultaofik Ventspils
Forward   Stanley Ibe Daugava Daugavpils
Manager   Ivan Tabanov Daugava Daugavpils

Awards edit

LFF awards 2012
Category Winner Club
Best goalkeeper   Germans Māliņš Skonto Riga
Best defender   Vitālijs Maksimenko Skonto Riga
Best midfielder   Vladimirs Kamešs Liepājas Metalurgs
Best forward   Mamuka Ghonghadze Daugava Daugavpils
Top scorer   Mamuka Ghonghadze Daugava Daugavpils
Best U-21 player   Valērijs Šabala Skonto Riga
Best player   Vladimirs Kamešs Liepājas Metalurgs
Best manager   Ivan Tabanov Daugava Daugavpils
Fair play award Club Daugava Daugavpils
Best match organisation Club Metta/LU

References edit

  1. ^ "2012.gada LATVIJAS FUTBOLA VIRSLĪGAS, SPĒĻU KALENDĀRS". Latvian Football Federation. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  2. ^ "Daugavpils Daugava atlaiž galveno treneri Sabitovu". Diena.lv. 2012-05-01.
  3. ^ "Osipovs atlaists no "Liepājas metalurgs" futbola komandas galvenā trenera amata". Kasjauns.lv. 2012-05-02.
  4. ^ "FK "Ventspils" atlaiž galveno treneri Podpaliju". TVNET. 2012-05-17.
  5. ^ "Sportacentrs TV – Sportacentrs.com". sportacentrs.com. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  6. ^ "Pirmo reizi vēsturē pārdotas Latvijas virslīgas futbola čempionāta interneta translāciju tiesības | Kasjauns.lv". kasjauns.lv. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  7. ^ "Futbola Virslīga - Virslīgā plāno ieviest kvalitatīvu statistikas un analīzes sistēmu". Archived from the original on 2013-02-19. Retrieved 2012-09-22.
  8. ^ "Futbola Virslīga - Virslīgai savs analītiskais raidījums". Archived from the original on 2013-02-18. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  9. ^ a b Edmunds Novickis (2012-05-07). "Virslīgas marta/aprīļa labākais spēlētājs Saito, treneris - Pahars". Sportacentrs.com.
  10. ^ a b Jānis Celmiņš (2012-06-05). "Virslīgas labākais spēlētājs maijā – Gongadze; treneris – Blagonadeždins". Sportacentrs.com.
  11. ^ a b Andris Liepa (2012-07-10). "Labākie jūnijā - Šabala un Pahars". Sportacentrs.com.
  12. ^ a b Jānis Celmiņš (2012-08-07). "Jūlijā labākie Daugavpils "Daugavas" pārstāvji Jašins un Tabanovs". Sportacentrs.com.
  13. ^ a b Andrejs Siliņš (2012-09-10). "Virslīgas labākais augustā - Leliūga". Sportacentrs.com. Archived from the original on 2012-10-21.
  14. ^ a b Andris Liepa (2012-10-04). "Labākie septembrī - Karlsons un Riherts". Sportacentrs.com.
  15. ^ Andris Liepa (2012-11-07). "Oktobra/novembra labākais spēlētājs Kamešs, treneris – Tabanovs". Sportacentrs.com.
  16. ^ Andris Liepa (2012-11-07). "Oktobra/novembra labākais spēlētājs Kamešs, treneris – Tabanovs". Sportacentrs.com.

External links edit

  • Latvian Football Federation (in Latvian)