Competition: | Latvian Higher League |
Season: | 2023 |
Dates: | 11 March – 11 November |
Winners: | RFS |
Relegated: | Super Nova |
Continentalcup1: | Champions League |
Continentalcup1 Qualifiers: | RFS |
Continentalcup2: | Conference League |
Continentalcup2 Qualifiers: | Auda Riga Valmiera |
Matches: | 180 |
Total Goals: | 523 |
Prevseason: | 2022 |
Nextseason: | 2024 |
Updated: | 7 January 2024 |
The 2023 Latvian Higher League, known as the Optibet Virslīga for sponsorship reasons, was the 32nd season of top-tier football in Latvia. The season began on 11 March 2023 and ended on 11 November 2023.[1]
The winners (RFS, their second title win) qualified for the 2024–25 Champions League first qualifying round. The second-placed team (Riga) qualified for the 2024–25 Conference League second qualifying round. The third and fourth-placed teams (Auda and Valmiera) qualified for the 2024–25 Conference League first qualifying round. The ninth-placed team (Metta) qualified for the Latvian Higher League play-off. The bottom team (Super Nova) were relegated to the 2024 Latvian First League.
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] Ninth-placed Metta defeated Grobiņa from the Latvian First League to retain their status in the top-flight. Valmiera entered the season as defending champions.[4]
Club | Seasons in Virsliga | 2022 position | Stadium | Capacity | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 | Celtnieks Stadium | 1,980 | |||
2 | Audas Stadions | 520 | |||
1 | in 1. līga | Zemgale Olympic Center | 2,500 | ||
10 | Daugava Stadium (Liepāja) | 4,022 | |||
12 | Daugava Stadium (Riga) | 10,461 | |||
8 | LNK Sporta Parks | 2,300 | |||
8 | Skonto Stadium | 8,087 | |||
2 | Sloka Stadium | 2,500 | |||
2 | Tukuma Pilsētas Stadions | 1,000 | |||
6 | Jāņa Daliņa Stadions | 1,250 |
The ninth-placed club (Metta) faced the third-placed club from the 2023 Latvian First League (Skanste) for the final place in the following season's Latvian Higher League.
Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Marko Regža | Riga | 19 |
2 | Jānis Ikaunieks | RFS | 15 |
3 | Andrej Ilić | RFS | 14 |
4 | Dodô | Liepāja | 13 |
5 | Reginaldo Ramires | Auda | 12 |
6 | Ismaël Diomandé | BFC Daugavpils/RFS | 11 |
7 | Jevgenijs Miņins | Super Nova | 10 |
8 | Emerson Deocleciano | RFS | 9 |
Raivis Ķiršs | Tukums 2000 | ||
Valerijs Lizunovs | Daugavpils | ||
Victor Osuagwu | Jelgava |
Player | For | Against | Result | Date | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RFS | Tukums 2000 | 1–7 (A) | [5] | |||
4 | RFS | Auda | 2–5 (A) | [6] | ||
RFS | Tukums 2000 | 7–0 (H) | [7] | |||
Valmiera | Liepāja | 1–4 (A) | [8] |
Rank | Player | Club | Clean sheets |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Jevgēņijs Ņerugals | RFS | 19 |
2 | Nils Puriņš | Riga | 16 |
3 | Carlos Olses | Valmiera | 10 |
4 | Vladislavs Kurakins | Daugavpils | 8 |
5 | Fabrice Ondoa | Auda | 7 |
Raivo Sturins | Jelgava | ||
7 | Roberts Ozols | Auda | 5 |
8 | Sergejs Vilkovs | Tukums 2000 | 4 |
Rihards Matrevics | Riga | ||
Pāvels Šteinbors | RFS | ||
Niks Aleksandrovs | Auda |