2023 Latvian Higher League

The 2023 Latvian Higher League, known as the Optibet Virslīga for sponsorship reasons, is the 32nd season of top-tier football in Latvia. The season began on 11 March 2023 and is set to end on 12 November 2023.[1]

Latvian Higher League
Season2023
Dates11 March –
12 November
RelegatedSuper Nova
Matches played129
Goals scored394 (3.05 per match)
← 2022
2024 →
All statistics correct as of 19 March 2023.

The winners qualify for the 2024–25 Champions League first qualifying round. The second-placed team qualify for the 2024–25 Conference League second qualifying round. The third and fourth-placed teams qualify for the 2024–25 Conference League first qualifying round. The ninth-placed team qualify for the Latvian Higher League play-off against the second-placed team from the 2023 Latvian First League. The bottom team (Super Nova) were relegated to the 2024 Latvian First League.

Teams

Ten teams contest the league; the top nine clubs from the previous season, and one team promoted from 1. līga; FS Jelgava won promotion by winning the First League in 2022.[2] After Spartaks Jūrmala failed to obtain the necessary license for participation in the league, SK Super Nova (who had been relegated) were given the chance to return to the league.[3] Valmiera were the defending champions.[4] Ninth-placed Metta defeated Grobiņa from the Latvian First League to retain their status in the top-flight.

2023 Virslīga competitors
Club Seasons
in Virsliga		 2022 position Stadium Capacity
BFC Daugavpils 10 7th Celtnieks Stadium 1,980
FK Auda 2 5th Audas Stadions 520
FK Jelgava 1 1st in 1. līga Zemgale Olympic Center 2,500
FK Liepāja 10 4th Daugava Stadium (Liepāja) 4,022
Metta/LU 12 9th Daugava Stadium (Riga) 10,461
RFS 8 3rd LNK Sporta Parks 2,300
Riga FC 8 2nd Skonto Stadium 8,087
SK Super Nova 2 10th Sloka Stadium 2,500
FK Tukums 2000 2 6th Tukuma Pilsētas Stadions 1,000
Valmiera FC 6 1st Jāņa Daliņa Stadions 1,250

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Riga (X) 33 26 5 2 84 18 +66 83 Qualification for Champions League first qualifying round
2 RFS (X) 33 24 8 1 88 17 +71 80 Qualification for Conference League second qualifying round[lower-alpha 1]
3 Valmiera 33 13 10 10 44 35 +9 49 Qualification for Conference League first qualifying round
4 Auda 33 13 10 10 40 39 +1 49
5 Liepāja 33 12 9 12 48 52 −4 45
6 Jelgava 33 10 9 14 42 54 −12 39
7 Tukums 2000 33 9 7 17 47 81 −34 34
8 Daugavpils 33 8 9 16 37 47 −10 33
9 Metta 33 7 9 17 36 58 −22 30 Qualification for Latvian Higher League play-off
10 Super Nova (R) 33 3 4 26 24 89 −65 13 Relegation to Latvian First League
Updated to match(es) played on 22 October 2023. Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Goal difference; 5) Goals scored; 6) Fair-play ranking; 7) Play-off. (Note: Head-to-head record is used only after all the matches between the teams in question have been played)
(R) Relegated; (X) Assured of at least Conference League
Notes:
  1. The 2023 Latvian Football Cup winners also qualified for the Conference League second qualifying round. Since the cup winners (RFS or Riga) qualified based on league position, the Conference League spot was passed to the second-placed team, and the second Conference League first qualifying round spot was passed to the fourth-placed team.

Results
Home \ Away AUD DAU JEL LIE MLU RFS RIG SUP TUK VAL AUD DAU JEL LIE MLU RFS RIG SUP TUK VAL
Auda 1–1 1–0 0–4 3–1 0–0 0–2 2–0 0–3 0–4 3–0 1–1 3–1 2–5 0–1 1–0 0–0
Daugavpils 0–2 5–2 1–2 1–1 0–5 1–1 3–0 3–3 1–1 0–2 1–1 4–2 0–1 0–2 2–0 3–1 0–0
Jelgava 0–0 2–1 2–1 2–1 0–2 1–3 2–0 2–2 2–0 29 Oct 0–0 3–2 2–3 0–1 1–3 2–2 2–0
Liepāja 1–1 1–0 3–2 1–1 0–3 0–3 2–1 0–1 1–2 1–1 2–1 1–1 3–2 1–1 0–4 28 Oct 1–4
Metta 0–2 3–2 0–1 1–1 0–0 0–2 4–1 3–2 0–1 0–1 0–0 0–1 1–1 0–6 0–1 1–1 29 Oct
RFS 2–0 3–1 4–0 2–0 5–0 0–0 2–1 1–0 2–1 3–0 29 Oct 1–0 3–1 0–0 5–0 7–0 3–0
Riga 2–0 1–0 2–1 3–1 4–0 1–1 5–1 5–1 3–0 1–0 3–0 3–5 3–1 1–0 2–2 28 Oct 4–0 3–0
Super Nova 0–2 0–4 2–2 2–6 0–3 1–6 0–4 2–0 1–0 0–5 0–1 1–1 0–2 1–3 1–5 2–5 0–2
Tukums 2000 2–2 1–0 2–0 0–3 1–2 1–7 0–2 3–2 0–0 2–2 3–0 1–2 1–1 4–5 0–6 1–0 3–2
Valmiera 1–1 1–0 2–0 0–1 1–1 0–0 1–0 3–1 4–3 1–2 0–1 2–2 1–1 2–1 1–0 1–1 6–0
Updated to match(es) played on 22 October 2023. Source: Soccerway
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Latvian Higher League play-off

The ninth-placed club will face the second-placed club from the 2023 Latvian First League for the final place in the following season's Latvian Higher League.

Season statistics

Top scorers
As of 13 August 2023
Rank Player Club Goals
1 Latvia Marko Regža Riga 15
2 Serbia Andrej Ilić RFS 13
3 Brazil Dodô Liepāja 12
4 Ivory Coast Ismaël Diomandé RFS 10
5 Brazil Douglas Aurélio Riga 8
Cameroon William Mukwelle Daugavpils
Latvia Valerijs Lizunovs Daugavpils
Latvia Jevgenijs Miņins Super Nova
Latvia Raivis Ķiršs Tukums 2000
Lithuania Faustas Steponavičius RFS

Top assists
As of 23 July 2023
Rank Player Club Assists
1 Latvia Eduards Tīdenbergs Liepāja 8
2 Portugal Douglas Aurélio Riga 7
3 Democratic Republic of the Congo Gauthier Mankenda Liepāja / Riga 6
Czech Republic Petr Mareš RFS
Brazil Emerson Deocleciano
Latvia Roberts Savaļnieks
Latvia Bogdans Samoilovs Tukums 2000
8 Serbia Miloš Jojić Riga 5
Ivory Coast Cédric Kouadio RFS
Latvia Lūkass Vapne Metta

Player
  • Most yellow cards: 2
    • 11 players

References
  1. "APSTIPRINĀTI VIRSLĪGAS UN 1. LĪGAS JAUNĀS SEZONAS REGLAMENTI" (in Latvian). lff.lv. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  2. ""FS Jelgava" nosvin atgriešanos Virslīgā ar "sauso" uzvaru Smiltenē" (in Latvian). zz.lv. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  3. "Virslīgā bez Spartaka" (in Latvian). sportacentrs.com. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  4. ""Valmiera" uzvar "Liepāju" un izcīna savu pirmo Latvijas čempionu titulu futbolā" (in Latvian). sports.tv3.lv. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
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