FK Liepāja: Turmoil and Uncertainty Plague the Club
FK Liepaja, once one of the best Latvian football clubs, finds itself mired in controversy and facing many challenges both on and off the pitch. The club's recent history has been marked by strained relationships between managers and the president, players, and the manager as well as players and the management, questionable managerial decisions, with no clear-cut plan, and a lack of player development. In this article, we delve into the various problems plaguing FK Liepaja, shedding light on the turmoil and uncertainty that currently surrounds the club.
FK Liepaja is at its lowest point by far. Five league defeats in a row, which is an anti-record. The players are getting sent down to reserve teams, with no spark in the eyes. And the ones who suffer are the fans of the team. And it has been going now since the 2022 preseason. What went wrong? Why is that? Let us deep dive into it.
Everything comes from the top. It’s well known that the previous managers at FK Liepaja did not appreciate the president's treatment of players and staff. They were aware that poor performances would result in additional pressure from the management, leading to an uncomfortable atmosphere within the team. As a result, previous managers refrained from discussing team issues with players immediately after a bad game, allowing them time to recover from the pressures imposed by the management which were they feeling every single time. Despite the internal turmoil going around the team, FK Liepaja managed to defy the odds and remain in contention for a spot in the UEFA Europa Conference League qualification during the 2022 season. Tamaz Pertia who was hired in the summer of 2022, was almost fired a few months later after getting hired, if the team would have lost the game against BFC Daugavpils away, which they won 3-2. So maybe, just maybe this article would not come out if they would have lost on that day? Who knows. But let’s deep dive more.
Mismanaged Injuries: The case of Mārtiņš Ķigurs, who suffered an ACL tear at the start of the 2022 season, exemplifies the pressure experienced by players and coaches. Despite medical advice suggesting a gradual recovery process, Ķigurs was pushed to engage in intense physical training sessions earlier than recommended. This premature return to the field led to a second ACL tear for the talented attacking player. A few months later, there are multiple injuries, the list is long. Is it a bad luck? Or the training is too much for the players? Because Tamaz Pertia loves to be different. After a stretch of bad games, the team started to run crosses at 6 AM the morning. Safe to say it did not help as the team is still playing badly. Various players already sixteen games into the season are playing on syringes. And now they have found the culprit. Long-time doctor and physio Jurijs Ksenzovs has been shown the doors. It just shows that they are trying to put the blame on someone, but does it really have to go to the physio? He was not a problem before Tamaz came here. Makes you wonder!
Dressing Room Tensions: Players with authority in the team have expressed their concerns to the club president about his presence in the dressing room. They feel intimidated as if one mistake could jeopardize their future with the team. This creates an environment of fear and uncertainty, affecting the players' performance and team cohesion. When asked to former players is it the coach? They say yes. Former captain Marko Simic still is loud and clear in sending his message to the manager. He is found a lot of times on the FK Liepāja Facebook comment page using clown emojis. They do not get his philosophy, even if they start to figure him out, then there he turns to 180 degrees and just a moment later the player finds himself on the bench, sent down to reserves or in the worst case, or the best-case scenario out from the team with terminating the contract.
Controversial Managerial Changes: The departures of Nebojsa Vignjevic and Kirill Alshevsky raised eyebrows within the football community. Vignjevic's exit during the 2022 preseason, with Alshevsky taking charge, was a result of clashes between Vignjevic and management, exacerbated by the firing of Vignjevic's assistant without consultation. A few months later Alshevsky's subsequent firing and the appointment of Tamaz Pertia as his replacement were met with surprise. Reports suggest that Pertia, who had a pre-existing relationship with the club president, influenced the decision. Pertia's desire for control and authority drove him to seek the managerial position at Liepāja because his dream of overseeing the Polish Ekstraklasa club went in smokes as no one else was giving him the freedom that Liepāja did. However, such sudden changes and power struggles can undermine the stability of a football club which led to a rebuild as a lot of players left in the summer and a lot of fresh faces joined the team.
How to spend money and Player Mismanagement: FK Liepāja's finances are good. But they do not know what to do with it. One season getting players on big wages, next season doing absolutely the opposite. After a bad stretch of games, the management loves to hold on to players’ money, which was the reason Slavisa Radovic left the team, he said it himself when he went back home. Also, the problems with managers and management Marko Simic, Leonel Strumia, and Mikhail Gordeychuk are others as I could go on and on. We are in 2023 and that is still the case, nothing has changed. The lack of intergrading the youth players to the first team has also contributed to the team's inability to keep young talents such as Kārlis Mikuļskis, Kristers Volkovs, and Rodrigo Gaučis, who sought opportunities elsewhere. The club's failure to nurture and use young players raises questions about its long-term vision and commitment to player development. Liepāja offered money to FK Metta for their young forward Artjoms Puzirevskis. He was interested, but FK Metta Chairman Ģirts Mihelsons said to him, you better wait because he feels that Artjoms will not be successful there. And why would he be wrong? The last time Liepāja sold their youth product to a team abroad was when Kristers Tobers was sold to Polish side Lechia Gdansk in 2020 (that’s three years ago!!!) and to be honest, he, Mārtiņš Ķigurs and Raivis Andris Jurkovskis were the last young Liepāja players who got the playing time with the first team. The track record is not good. At least now they have cooperation with Liepājas Football School, and they are integrating into the first team training a lot of young players who are playing in youth leagues (16/17-year-olds).
Let us not forget the appointment of Kristians Torress as sports director which sparked tensions within the club. Players claim that former Latvian NT member Torress displayed a two-faced demeanour, praising them in private while contradicting himself in discussions with the president. This inconsistency created an atmosphere of mistrust and disharmony in the dressing room, further worsening the club's internal struggles. He is not with the team anymore, so they made some changes, but Tamaz Pertia and his authority are still with the team.
Constant Squad Overhauls: FK Liepāja has become known for frequent changes to the squad, both in the preseason and during the summer transfer window. This constant turnover prevents the team from establishing stability and continuity, hindering the development of team chemistry and a cohesive playing style. One ridiculous example comes from this offseason when they announced the signing of Lithuanian international Ernestas Stockunas. He was pinned in my starting eleven for them. A week or two later out of nowhere he was not training with the team anymore and signed with a club back in Lithuania.
A Need for Change: The club currently finds itself at its lowest point, experiencing a string of five consecutive league defeats. Players appear demotivated and disinterested, lacking the drive to compete. The solution may lie in relieving Tamaz Pertia of his managerial duties and appointing a new coach who can work freely without constant pressure from the management. Such a change would provide an opportunity for FK Liepāja to rebuild (yes once again), reconnect with its fans, and aspire to a brighter future.
In conclusion, FK Liepāja is grappling with a multitude of challenges, including strained managerial relationships, player discontent, a lack of plan and a lack of stability. Overcoming these obstacles will require decisive action, effective communication, and a commitment to nurturing talent and building a united team. Only through addressing these issues head-on can FK Liepāja hope to regain its former glory and create a sustainable path to success and return to Europe. Because right now the team is on the wrong path and the fans will be devastated if the team for the second year in a row will miss the European spot. Because the team has an owner who is wealthy and loves to spend. Unfortunately, the team is not managed properly.