Tony Bet Virslīga 2024 season preview

The day is here, the new and exciting Virslīga 2024 season. Last season was thrilling, and the champion, RFS, snatched the title from Riga FC on the last Matchday with a win over Metta. What could much more football fans ask for? This last season was one for the history books, not only because of how the league finished. Last season, we also introduced VAR in the Latvian Virslīga. Was it a good decision? Yes! But it still needs a lot of improvements. First, it must be in every match, but it is impossible for obvious reasons. Please never want to hear that it is a draw principle when selecting a game with a VAR on the selected Matchday. That sounds dumb because we know there is no draw principle. Also, the notable thing is that Virslīga signed a deal with a new general sponsor. With Optibet gone, it’s TonyBet, as both parties have agreed to a three-year contract.

This is now the 5^th annual Virslīga season preview made by me. As always, I will look deeper at all the ten Virslīga teams participating in this season’s competition. Go through their additions, departures, overall off-season, and players to watch from each team. It will also outline the potential starting lineup for each team. Ultimately, I will give out my predictions. So, let’s start by first looking at the previous season’s Latvian champions, FC RFS.

FC RFS (2023 season – 1^st place).

RFS management and team are examples of how the team should be run for every other Latvian team. From the top to the bottom, it’s that simple. Making no cardinal decisions, keeping their core, and just doing their job. It has been a success, as the two Virslīga titles in the last three years show that. They have kept their core once again. If we look at the starting lineup from last season’s previous game, only one player has left the team – Daniels Ontužans, but he was not a regular starter anyway. Everyone else has stayed. That means they trust their team, and why would they not do that?

Looking at the offseason transfers, they made a little rebuild, letting go of three veteran Latvian players who were with the team a long time – Vitālijs Jagodinskis, Arturs Zjuzins and Vladislavs Sorokins. But if we talk about additions this time, they have added more depth pieces and younger players for the future if we compare to last season when they signed three impact players who were a big part in the Virslīga title run – Finnish midfielder Adam Markhiev and Latvian stars Jānis Ikaunieks and Roberts Savaļnieks. Suppose I want to point out one or two players from new additions who could make an impact. In that case, it is an attacking midfielder, Mārtiņš Ķigurs, if he stays healthy, which I hope he will because he brings creativity and quality and a Georgian winger, Lasha Odisharia, who was bought from Dinamo Tbilisi. He has enjoyed some time in the starting lineup in pre-season games. So, I might pin him as a starting winger for RFS to start the league season.

RFS have a big year awaiting them. I’m expecting a deep run in Europe, and with how they have played in the pre-season so far, they are the title favourites with Riga FC. However, let’s not forget what happened in the 2022 season. RFS were the defending champions; they got into the Europa Conference League group stage, and it did test their squad depth. They had to sacrifice the league; knowing they couldn’t catch Riga FC and eventual champions Valmiera FC, they shifted their focus to getting something out of Europe and the Latvian Cup. We might see an identical replay from this 2022 season story in 2024. Still, we have to keep in mind that RFS this time will know how it is if they make it far in Europe and try to maintain the pace which Riga FC will offer to keep up with them, knowing that RFS will likely have multiple major matches in September, October and November.

RFS FC Additions.

RFS FC Departures.

RFS FC registered squad.

RFS FC’s Potential starting lineup.

Riga FC (2023 season – 2^nd place).

Riga FC. If we talk about finances, it is the richest club in Latvia. They are spending year by year and are trying to recreate the magic from a few years ago when they won three straight Virslīga titles. They have come into this season with a goal – to get over the hump and get that title finally. Riga FC Chief Executive Officer Romāns Lajuks, in an interview with football journalist Edmunds Novickis, said they want to win and get back the Virslīga title.

Riga has once again changed the coach – Tomislav Stipic was let go after blowing the title on the last Matchday. Yes, he won the Latvian Cup, beating their rivals RFS in the cup final, but his stubbornness to rotate the squad led to the draw against Super Nova on Matchday 34, ultimately costing him the league title and his job. The new manager has come in and will try to lead Riga to the league title; he is known as Simo Valakari. The Finish specialist displayed a beautiful brand of football last season for FK Auda, leading them to a historical finish – for the first time in their history, finishing in the Top 3. Now comes the even more significant challenge. They are getting Riga to the top. The pressure will be enormous, especially on the board. They have not kept this a secret; every single loss for them is a tragedy, and they want to win every game.

If this season, Riga FC has changed their coaching staff, then there is a difference from previous seasons if we look at this offseason. As we have seen before, there are no drastic changes in the squad. Just four new signings! I don’t remember when we have seen that before, if ever! The new signings this time are coming from South America: three Argentinians and a Brazilian player. Time will tell how they adapt here in this condition, which the Latvian climate provides, especially at the start of the season, but as I said, there are not a lot of changes in the squad, so the core is pretty much the same.

There have been some departures, and to me, one of the most exciting players we have had here in the last few years, Douglas Aurelio, was sold to the Spanish side. Still, the writing on the wall with Stipič’s departure and Valakari’s arrival was predictable. Those two managers have different systems for playing the ball; Stipic is more oriented in that players need to be more creative, go one versus one, and beat players with speed and a little bit of direct football. In contrast, Valakari’s tactic is oriented around passing - tiki-taka football; he wants the opposition to chase the ball, to get them tired and not a lot of 1 vs one play. Douglas Aurelio is a professional and could adapt to it, but it was rumoured that Riga received offers for him earlier in the winter, so why not do the best thing possible and try to earn some money for him? That’s what they did.

The other notable departure is Costa Rican international Anthony Contreras. He came here to prove himself from the first minute. I love how that guy played; he gave everything every moment. I still can see while Riga is up and in a comfortable lead, and the guy has a don’t give a **** attitude. He was going hard in tackles and pressing. He scored his share of goals here in a short time. He was loaned out to Pafos FC in the last transfer window moments. So now the remaining forwards in the team are the previous season’s Virslīga top goal scorer, Marko Regža, and Nigerian forward Taiwo.

Riga FC additions.

Riga FC departures.

Riga FC registered squad.

Riga FC’s potential starting lineup.

FK Auda (2023 season – 3^rd place).

The history makers Auda are next on the list. The side that won their first major silverware two seasons ago – the Latvian Cup and last season- for the first time in their history, finished third in the Latvian highest football league now looks for more. Looking at their offseason, they have been the biggest unknown by far. They have kept everything quiet; they went to their training camp, and there are not a lot of posts and updates from social media, so it is tough to say how ready they are to start the season. One thing we know for sure is that they have a new manager, Almeida comes in as Valakari is leaving for Riga FC. Portuguese specialist Filipe Almeida has had a lot of experience as an assistant working for some big-name clubs worldwide. The 43-year-old was the right-hand man for the very well-known Vitor Pereira. Almeida’s CV shows stops at Turkish giants Fenerbache and lastly with Corinthians in Brazil. This will be his first opportunity to showcase himself as a first-team manager.

As I said previously, they were the most significant unknowns, and looking at their offseason transactions, I see that they are trying to go the same route as Riga FC. They have signed various South American players to a contract but added some young African talent. One of them was born in 2006, Ousmane Camara, who was announced even by Fabrizio Romano. The young winger is heading to Auda on loan from Riga FC, so seeing how the young man from Burkina Faso will do here will be interesting.

A key player they have kept is Brazilian forward Reginaldo Ramires, who was on fire last season when he made a loan move to Auda. He is again on loan from Riga FC, and teams know how hard it is to find a good number 9 who can score goals reasonably. Ramires, to me, is a sneaky, dirty guy, but in a good way; he wants to win; he wants to get under the skin of the opposition and even the opposition fans, which we were able to witness in games against FK Metta.

But if we talk about additions, we can’t forget about some departures and at the end of the season, they needed to find reinforcements in one critical position – goalkeeper. With the captain Fabrice Ondoa leaving last summer, Auda had Roberts Ozols and young Niks Daniels Aleksandrovs as the remaining keepers. Still, Roberts Ozols joined the Uzbekistani side, leaving them with just one. And I think they did find some quality replacements in that position – Krišjānis Zviedris and Raivo Stūriņš. Krišjānis Zviedris was a long-time starting goalkeeper for FK Liepāja. Still, last season, he moved to SJK in Finland, where, unfortunately for him, it did not play out as he wanted, and now, he will want to get back the Liepāja mojo and will likely be the starting goalkeeper to start the season. On the other hand, his backup is a young, promising goalkeeper, Raivo Stūriņš, one of the best in the league in his rookie season for FS Jelgava. He is a talented shot-stopper; all three guys will have a healthy competition this season.

Auda in the offseason did not go away without some controversy as one of the previous season’s leaders, Daniils Ulimbašev’s contract, was terminated after he got into a conflict with some of the foreign players in the training camp. But even with his departure, the team has various good-quality Latvian players.

FK Auda additions.

FK Auda departures.

FK Auda registered squad.

FK Auda potential starting lineup.

Valmiera FC (2023 season – 4^th place).

 Valmiera FC is up next, the team that was the defending league champion last season, but they will likely want to forget the previous season. Yes, they finished 4^th and got into Europe, but they were representing Latvia in the Champions League. Even though the game against Olimpija Ljubljana was competitive, manager Jurģis Kalns was working with the team he got, and he did the absolute best. Valmiera FC is run like a business, and on that side, they are doing very well, selling players to good leagues, so the track record for the young players who come here is there. After an impressive and unlikely Virslīga 2022 title run, there was a rebuild, and it was written in the stars that Valmiera FC would not compete for the league title in 2023.

Now is the new year; they have kept their core, and the young players are a year older and will look to step up. Goalkeeper Carlos Olses was especially praised in the offseason, but as the season started, he had inconsistent performances; he can’t have that if the team wants to reach the highest goals. His last game of the season against Riga FC showed his enormous potential, and for Valmiera’s sake, he needs to be consistent. As he is from South America, I will give him a pass because it was his first season in Europe. We have seen various examples where, in year one, the players are underwhelming, but when they have adapted and are comfortable here, they rise to the occasion. But lastly, we can’t forget that last season, the team was battling an injury crisis; two potential vital players went down for the season early in March, Clemente Porsan and Renārs Varslavāns, but both are now healthy and ready to play.

Looking at the additions for Valmiera, their direction has not changed, as out of the 11 new signings, only one goalkeeper, Dāvis Ošs was born in the 1990s. And now manager Jurģis Kalns will have to try to build the team, with the so-called old guard and the new blood a mix to lead them to success. There will be rollercoasters if we talk about what we will see from match to match, but one thing is for sure: they will do everything in their power because Valmiera football must be respected, and with that 2022 run, they have shown that they can do it. The task will be to find new Yokota, Mena, Zhelizko, and Krollis for the team who they can sell later and with their track record and their great job scouting the players from unknown places, I say that there will be at least one surprise from the additions who will bring Valmiera quality and emerge as a leader.

If we talk about likely emerging leaders from the additions, a great candidate for it is Lukass Vapne, who returns to Valmiera. The talented midfielder did very well last season when he was playing relatively outside his comfort zone as a defensive midfielder. That shows that Lukass is a unique talent for Latvian football, and now Lukass must take that next step as he is expected to play back at his familiar ten positions; he must show the coaching staff that he is the guy and leader whom they trust and can give him the keys to the team now. I expect him to have an exceptional season.

Valmiera FC additions.

Valmiera FC departures.

Valmiera FC registered squad.

Valmiera FC potential starting lineup.

FK Liepāja (2023 season – 5^th place).

Tamaz Pertia’s coached team is up next. Now, it’s the 2^nd straight year without Europe, and it’s time to get back. If last year they decided to cut the budget and go with the younger unknown player approach, which doesn’t need huge investments, then this year the management has opened a little bit more wallet by bringing in experienced Virslīga players, and that doesn’t include only Latvian players, but also foreigners who have had Virslīga experience. Last year was a disaster on all fronts for Liepāja; the constant changing of the squad must stop sometime, and maybe with this group of guys they have right now, they can get consistency. The time will tell that, but now the team looks promising. Tamaz Pertia will have a group of experienced players and young players; now it’s his time to mix them, and he must prove to the fans after last year’s shenanigans, which I will mention a little later, that he is the man for the job because it might look to the casual fans that he might be untouchable and is good with the management. Still, the constant failure has to have a limit. This is the year where results should come. There are no more credits for Tamaz because he has been given almost three years to work, and the results have been disappointing.

After my little rant about Liepāja football club, let’s discuss the additions. They had a significant turnaround in the squad again, but it’s different this time. If we compare to last year, it looks like this year; they put a thought on what kind of players they are bringing in because last year it felt like they were working in cooperation with the Make-A-Wish organisation and gifting unknown players their first experience in the professional football even though it was known from the get-go that better would be to give that time to the academy players because some of the foreigner player contributions were non-existing. Again, I went on a little rant, but that is because we know how big of a potential Liepāja can have, and the fans deserve more, especially knowing that the little brother Grobiņa is coming to their town. I can guarantee that they will have more significant attendance, at least in the early part of the season, if we compare it to FK Liepāja.

But let’s get back to additions. Luka Silagadze, Fraj Kairmani and Arturs Zjuzins. Three players with Virslīga experience, Luka and Arturs, have shown their qualities in their previous clubs and will be the motor if Liepāja wants success. Also, the addition of long-time BFC Daugavpils goalkeeper Vladislav Kurakins and midfielder Edgars Ivanovs is an underrated signing; mix it with young centre-back Normunds Uldriķis and two very talented young Latvian players Alans Kangars and Ivans Patrikejevs, to me, it could look a very enjoyable squad. It’s no secret that Kangars and Patrikejevs have been among my favourite young players in Latvia for two years since I saw them play for Latvian U17 NT. Both are entering professional football; Kangars will have his rookie season in Virslīga, while Ivans Patrikejevs will play his second season in Virslīga. I also wanted to add that I’m the Ivans Patrikejevs fan club leader, and I believe he will be a National Team player, and I will hold on to that till the end.

To recap this. I hope the Tamaz shenanigans will come to an end. His 2023 summer transfer window made a lot of people angry. I will not go into the details, but it was shady - the 5 Senegalese players from the same agent were added in one day and the next day, putting all of them in the starting lineup; that does bring a lot of questions, but we can’t change the past. Now it’s the time; you have the players and the material - bring Liepāja back to Europe, or you can show yourself out.

FK Liepāja additions.

FK Liepāja departures.

FK Liepāja registered squad.

FK Liepāja potential starting lineup.

FS Jelgava (2023 season – 6^th place).

One of the positive surprises from the last season, FS Jelgava, comes next. Last year, they were proposed by most, including me, to finish last. And there was a reason for it. 21 out of 28 players in the squad had no Virslīga experience; 75% of the team had played under seven Virslīga games in the previous seasons. Still, the Ervīns Pērkons side did well, and when Josef Skrlik took over after Pērkons stepped down from the head coaching job, they did not stop, which was a surprise. But the last season is past, and the new season is approaching. There is a saying that in the rookie season, the teams in the top league, because of emotions and many unknowns, are doing very well, which was the case with Jelgava, but the second season being at the top league is the hardest. Will it be the story of FS Jelgava? We will see.

FS Jelgava was one of the many teams that appointed a new manager. Jelgava football legend Valērijs Redjko has become a permanent manager. Virslīga, a top-10 player in caps, was the heart and voice of the defence and was even a caretaker manager for a few games after Pērkons left. So, Redjko will get his first opportunity. He is a confident young coach with his game plan and will stick to it.

Talking about the reshaping of the team, there are quite a few changes in the squad. Few of the youngsters who were starting players have moved on to bigger Latvian clubs. Number one goalkeeper Raivo Stūriņš signed with Auda, and midfielder Kevins Cēsinieks now calls his home Valmiera FC. Also, the loan for star striker Victor Osuagwu ended, and he is back at his club in Czechia, so his productivity will need to be replaced. They hope his replacement will be Nigerian striker Joseph Ede, who joined Jelgava on loan from a Czech club. But with those few departures that were important to them last season come some new and familiar faces. Veteran wingback Armands Pētersons will be the voice of the locker room and will have plenty of playing time under Valērijs Redjko. The same can be said about returning son – Gļebs Kļuskins, who had the best years of his career playing in Jelgava, winning the Virslīga MVP in his prime days. I can’t forget about the promising Valters Pūrs, who, at the age of 17, was a starting centre-back for the team. His growth will be necessary for Jelgava.

FS Jelgava additions.

FS Jelgava departures.

FS Jelgava registered squad.

FS Jelgava potential starting lineup.

BFC Daugavpils (2023 season – 7^th place).

BFC Daugavpils remains the only team representing east Latvia in the Latvian football Virslīga. It’s tough for every team to play in Daugavpils; the fans love football there, and, significantly, the city of Daugavpils has the team. At least this year, there were no question marks on where they would play their home games like in the last two seasons. They are going to play in Esplanāde stadium.

But the squad changes don’t look promising. They are re-tooling big time. They lost various vital players, and now other players will have to step up to get the results—BFC Daugavpils academy products and former Daugavpils players returning home after spending a few seasons in other Latvian clubs.

The key departures are a long-time starting goalkeeper, Vladislav Kurakins, who moved to FK Liepāja, and handsome route midfielder Edgars Ivanovs. In contrast, Dāvis Cucurs, after a great season last season, made a move to Latvian champions RFS. We have to add the Czech wingback Jaroslav Haruštak. As his loan ended, he was one of the better players in his position in the entire league, and there was no chance for Daugavpils to keep him in the squad. Also, their star forward Valērijs Lizunovs will not be with Daugavpils for the first time in his career as he was loaned from RFS to FK Tukums 2000/Telms this season. The list of departures is very long, and it will be tough to replace them, but Daugavpils have the character and their director Normunds Mackevičs did not hide that the team will trust in their players; he hopes their academy products take the next step and he will look forward to the season.

Looking at their additions, they got three players on loan from RFS; they will be the key players: the Bosnian forward Aleksej Golijanin, goalkeeper Frenks Dāvids Orols, who will be the starting goalkeeper and lastly, the player I think will be the leader of the team – Jevgēņijs Miņins. Jevgēņijs did have a superb season for the relegated SK Super Nova side and now looks to do the same with BFC Daugavpils.

BFC Daugavpils additions.

BFC Daugavpils departures.

BFC Daugavpils registered squad.

BFC Daugavpils potential starting lineup.

FK Tukums 2000/Telms (2023 season – 8^th place).

If I said that BFC Daugavpils are re-tooling and will have a tough time, then with Tukums, it is an entirely different story. They have kept almost all of their core players and have quality players from loans from the top Latvian clubs. It’s safe to say that the Kristaps Dišlers side this year will be the best they have had in terms of quality in their history, and they might even do some surprises. But that is only on the paper and doesn’t win football games. So, the coaching staff will have the material brought by the club president; now it’s time to surprise the Latvian football community.

The only players they have lost who were a big part of last season are Arturs Krancmanis, who goes back to FK Auda, and centre-back Kārlis Mikuļskis, who started as a starter for Tukums but later got some sporadic playing time. Other than that, everyone is back.

If we talk about the additions, why do I think they have a chance to surprise the football community? It is because of the quality of players they have brought to Tukums. Valērijs Lizunovs – the U-21 international, scored double-digit goals in the last two seasons for BFC Daugavpils. Jamaican winger Kenroy Campbell looked impressive in the training camp with RFS, and the third one from the RFS is goalkeeper Sergejs Vilkovs, who will spend his 3rd season on loan at Tukums. Those three players add a lot of quality to their squad. One thing that worries me is their CB core. Not a lot of people to pick to play there. Maroine Mihoubi will be the heart of the defence, but it will be interesting to see who will play beside him; it might be Rūdolfs Reingolcs, who did play some minutes last season as a CB, but his main position before was a wingback. Maybe some other unknown candidate will get the starting spot. Safe to say, it will be interesting to see what Kristaps Dišlers decides because his offensive potential is enormous, but he also can’t forget about the defence.

FK Tukums 2000/Telms additions.

FK Tukums 2000/Telms departures.

FK Tukums 2000/Telms registered squad.

FK Tukums 2000/Telms potential starting lineup.

FK Metta (2023 season – 9^th place).

FK Metta will participate in 13 straight seasons in the Latvian top flight, the longest-running streak among the active Virslīga teams. As in previous years, their approach hasn’t changed: Develop their own academy players, let them integrate into the first team, and develop so they can produce quality football players for the Latvian National teams.

Some FK Metta academy graduates who were long-time first-team players have left this season. Normunds Uldriķis has signed with FK Liepāja, and Gabriels Kirkils will play in the Latvian second division, but the biggest departure is the talented Lūkass Vapne, who joined Valmiera FC. Lūkass quality and talent will be tough to replicate. Still, FK Metta has one of the best, if not the best, academies in Latvia, and few players already are knocking on the first team doors, so they will continue to do their job and try to hold on to the Virslīga spot for another year. One of those academy players to watch is 2006-year-old Markuss Ivulāns. He is different from other Latvian players – small in stature but with a unique play style. Loves to beat opponents 1 vs 1 with his great dribbling and ball control skills, he was superb finisher last year in the Nākotnes League for SK Skanste leading them to second place finish with 10 league goals. I think he is the next Metta player whom we will hear about for a long time because his potential is high, and I think he will get some time with the first team this season, maybe even at the start of the season!

Let's talk about more additions. Former FK Metta academy and first-team player Jegors Novikovs joins Metta on loan from Auda, as manager Andris Riherts said he wants Jegors to be the leader. He is a more mature, stronger and better football player since he last played for FK Metta. Also can’t forget about Ousmanne Sow, it’s not an addition, but welcome return, because he was their top player last season and when he went down with a injury which took him out for the season, FK Metta results went downhill.

FK Metta additions.

FK Metta departures.

FK Metta registered squad.

FK Metta potential starting lineup.

SC Grobiņas/LFS (2023 season – promoted).

The debutants. SC Grobiņas/LFS, for the first time, will play in the top Latvian football team, Viktors Dobrecovs, and also gets a warm welcome back in Virslīga after an 8-year absence. The 2015 Virslīga winning manager comes in with a team he has built and coached since 2020 when he took over the Grobiņas managerial job. This team might be a good feel story, and the team for which the casual fans might root is because they will be a hard-working team. But the run to Virslīga was not smooth; there were questions about whether they could get the finances to play in Virslīga. Manager Dobrecovs went from door to door looking for some finances and his dedication paid off, they got the green light from the Latvian Football Federation and got the license to play in the TonyBet 2024 Virslīga season.

The squad they will have is an interesting one, with many young, talented Liepāja football school players, some no needed players from FK Liepāja and also experienced Grobiņas players who have been with the team from the beginning. So it’s a mixture of everything, and Viktors Dobrecovs is a great coach, so he will do his best so it is not one and done for SC Grobiņas side.

The leader of the team, I think, will be Roberts Meļķis, the young winger who is loaned out from FK Liepāja and, to my surprise, was not in Liepāja plans, why surprised, you might ask. Because his play last season was superb, with two goals in the cup game against FK Metta, he was getting used to the speed and play of the league, so I thought he could be a starter for Liepāja coming into this season. Still, it looks like he will not be, but that is not bad for this player because he has played for Viktors Dobrecovs and will be trusted, so he will get plenty of playing time to improve because potential is there. Another notable one is Kristers Čudars, who will join on loan to Grobiņa from Valmiera; he is a former Virslīga champion with Valmiera, and his experience and presence in the middle will be a great way to calm things down if they get in a tough position.

Now Liepāja has two teams; fans will have plenty of football to watch in the city. The derby between both teams will be one of the most anticipated matches in Latvian football. Grobiņa has shown that they can beat Liepāja. Will it happen again this season?  

Grobiņas SC/LFS additions.

No notable Grobiņas SC/LFS departures.

Grobiņas SC/LFS registered squad.

Grobiņas SC/LFS potential starting lineup.

Predictions:

Now, it’s time for the predictions. Starting with how I think the teams will finish in the league.

1. Riga FC

2. RFS FC

3. FK Auda

4. FK Liepāja

5. Valmiera FC

6. FK Tukums 2000/Telms

7. FS Jelgava

8. Grobiņas SC/LFS

9. FK Metta

10. BFC Daugavpils

I have Riga FC as a champion. It was an easy decision for me because I think RFS will go far in Europe and will be a test for their depth. And Māris Verpakovskis did not hide that the main goal for the season is to go far in Europe.

3-5 places is pretty much a guessing game. I can have the case for all of them to finish 3rd, 4th or 5th.

If I look at the squads, the next group, FK Tukums 2000/Telms squad, stands out, and I think they will finish 6th, while the team who will be relegated - the same as for the 3-5 placed teams. Anyone can end up last from those four teams at the end of the season. Unfortunately, I had to put someone in that place, and I'm leaning towards Daugavpils.

TOP Goalscorer - Darko Lemajic (RFS)

League MVP - Ousseynou Niang (Riga FC)

Best goalkeeper - Rihards Matrevics (Riga FC)

Rookie of the Year - Markuss Ivulāns (FK Metta)

Best Latvian goalscorer - Marko Regža (Riga FC)

This is it for my preview. Thanks for reading, and let’s enjoy the new Virslīga season.

I will try to do more on my Substack this season. So let’s hope I will keep my promise.

Follow me on Twitter: LV_footballnews.

Other great Twitter accounts to follow for Latvian football.

LV_futbols - Latvian football journalist Edmunds Novickis puts out daily tweets about Latvian football there in the Latvian language.

Apinītis (insides) - This is a great account to follow if you want to hear where players are moving. He usually reports the news faster than I do.

LV Football podcast - Two great guys are doing a podcast about Latvian football in English.

Stats With Matiss - Some great data about Virslīga can be seen in this account which is run by Matīss.