# 2023 Latvian Higher League

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.
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, with the third and fifth-placed teams (Auda and Liepāja) qualifying for the first qualifying round (fourth-placed Valmiera were refused a UEFA license). The ninth-placed team (Metta) qualified for the Latvian Higher League play-off, winning and retaining their place in the league. The bottom team (Super Nova) were relegated to the 2024 Latvian First League.

## Teams

Ten teams contested the league; the top nine clubs from the previous season, and one team promoted from 1. līga.
| Promoted from 2022 Latvian First League | Relegated |
| Jelgava | Spartaks Jūrmala |
FS Jelgava won promotion by winning the First League in 2022. 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. 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.
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 |
| FS 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 | RFS (C) | 36 | 27 | 8 | 1 | 96 | 18 | +78 | 89 | Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round |
| 2 | Riga | 36 | 27 | 7 | 2 | 89 | 21 | +68 | 88 | Qualification for the Conference League second qualifying round |
| 3 | Auda | 36 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 44 | 39 | +5 | 58 | Qualification for the Conference League first qualifying round |
| 4 | Valmiera | 36 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 47 | 40 | +7 | 53 | |
| 5 | Liepāja | 36 | 14 | 9 | 13 | 52 | 54 | −2 | 51 | Qualification for the Conference League first qualifying round |
| 6 | Jelgava | 36 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 42 | 57 | −15 | 40 | |
| 7 | Daugavpils | 36 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 40 | 52 | −12 | 36 | |
| 8 | Tukums 2000 | 36 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 47 | 83 | −36 | 35 | |
| 9 | Metta (O) | 36 | 8 | 9 | 19 | 41 | 63 | −22 | 33 | Qualification for the Latvian Higher League play-off |
| 10 | Super Nova (R) | 36 | 3 | 5 | 28 | 25 | 96 | −71 | 14 | Relegation to the Latvian First League |
* 1 2 3 The 2023 Latvian Football Cup winners qualified for the Conference League second qualifying round. Since the cup winners (Riga) qualified based on league position, the Conference League spot was passed to the second-placed team. After Valmiera were denied a UEFA license, the second Conference League first qualifying round spot was passed to the fifth-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 | | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–5 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 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 | 2–1 | 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 | 0–2 | 0–0 | | 3–2 | 2–3 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 0–1 |
| 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 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 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 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 |
| RFS | 2–0 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 5–0 | | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | | 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 | | 1–1 | 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 | 0–4 | 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 | 0–0 | 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 | 1–1 | 6–0 | |

## Latvian Higher League play-off

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.

### Second leg
## Season statistics
### Top scorers

    As of match played 11 November 2023
| 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 |
| 8 | Raivis Ķiršs | Tukums 2000 | 9 |
| 8 | Valerijs Lizunovs | Daugavpils | 9 |
| 8 | Victor Osuagwu | Jelgava | 9 |

#### Hat-tricks

| Player | For | Against | Result | Date |
| Emerson Deocleciano | RFS | Tukums 2000 | 1–7 (A) | 9 May 2023 |
| Ismaël Diomandé$^4$ | RFS | Auda | 2–5 (A) | 23 July 2023 |
| Jānis Ikaunieks | RFS | Tukums 2000 | 7–0 (H) | 29 July 2023 |
| Léo Gaúcho | Valmiera | Liepāja | 1–4 (A) | 17 September 2023 |
* $^4$ Player scored 4 goals

#### Own goals

* Oļģerds Raščevskis – Jelgava vs Super Nova 5 April 2023
* Kārlis Mikuļskis – Valmiera vs Tukums 2000 6 April 2023
* Atis Ozols – Valmiera vs Tukums 2000 6 April 2023
* Moses Salifu – Daugavpils vs Valmiera 11 April 2023
* Dāvis Cucurs – Daugavpils vs RFS 19 April 2023
* Kristers Čudars – Riga vs Valmiera 30 April 2023
* Pape Fall – RFS vs Valmiera 4 May 2023
* Marcis Peilans – Super Nova vs Jelgava 18 May 2023
* Ivans Patrikejevs – Super Nova vs RFS 4 June 2023
* Roberts Veips – Jelgava vs Valmiera 5 June 2023
* Ivo Minkevičs – Auda vs Liepāja 30 July 2023
* Bacary Sané – Liepāja vs Valmiera 17 September 2023
* Kārlis Vilnis – Daugavpils vs Metta 29 September 2023
* Artjoms Černovs – Liepāja vs Super Nova 11 November 2023

### Clean sheets

    As of matches played on 11 November 2023
| 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 |
| 5 | Raivo Sturins | Jelgava | 7 |
| 7 | Roberts Ozols | Auda | 5 |
| 8 | Sergejs Vilkovs | Tukums 2000 | 4 |
| 8 | Rihards Matrevics | Riga | 4 |
| 8 | Pāvels Šteinbors | RFS | 4 |
| 8 | Niks Aleksandrovs | Auda | 4 |

### Discipline
#### Red cards

    As of match played 11 November 2023
* Ousseynou Niang - Riga vs RFS (18 March 2023)
* Manyumow Achol - Auda vs Valmiera (2 April 2023)
* Gļebs Kļuškins - RFS vs Liepāja (5 April 2023)
* Maksims Sidorovs - Valmiera vs Tukums 2000 (6 April 2023)
* Lucas Rangel - Tukums 2000 vs Riga (10 April 2023)
* Maksims Sidorovs - Tukums 2000 vs Liepāja (18 April 2023)
* Doug Bergqvist - Jelgava vs Auda (19 April 2023)
* Božo Mikulić - Jelgava vs Auda (19 April 2023)
* Ismaël Diomandé - Liepāja vs Daugavpils (23 April 2023)
* Jevgēņijs Ņerugals - RFS vs Super Nova (24 April 2023)
* Daniils Ulimbaševs - Auda vs Liepāja (7 May 2023)
* Roberts Veips - Valmiera vs Super Nova (8 May 2023)
* Artūrs Ļotčikovs - Super Nova vs Daugavpils (14 May 2023)
* Fraj Kayramani - Tukums 2000 vs Valmiera (17 May 2023)
* Janis Krautmanis - Liepāja vs Valmiera (27 May 2023)
* Alioune Ndoye - Jelgava vs Valmiera (5 June 2023)
* Aleksejs Grjaznovs - Valmiera vs Liepāja (29 June 2023)
* Reginaldo Ramires - Auda vs Valmiera (5 June 2023)
* Maroine Mihoubi - Valmiera vs Tukums 2000 (7 July 2023)
* Jegors Novikovs - Auda vs Liepāja (30 July 2023)
* Daniils Ulimbaševs - Auda vs Liepāja (30 July 2023)
* Davis Valmiers - Metta vs Jelgava (31 July 2023)
* Mouhamed El Bachir Ngom - Riga vs Metta (13 August 2023)
* Alioune Ndoye - Riga vs Valmiera (26 August 2023)
* Mame Balla Tine - Metta vs Liepāja (2 September 2023)
* Žiga Lipušček - RFS vs Riga (16 September 2023)
* Mouhamadou Diaw - Liepāja vs Valmiera (17 September 2023)
* Vladislavs Fjodorovs - Metta vs Tukums 2000 (23 September 2023)
* Rendijs Šibass - Metta vs Tukums 2000 (23 September 2023)
* Allan Enyou - Super Nova vs Daugavpils (23 September 2023)
* Reginaldo Ramires - Valmiera vs Auda (24 September 2023)
* Léo Gaúcho - Valmiera vs Auda (24 September 2023)
* Alioune Ndoye - Valmiera vs Super Nova (27 September 2023)
* Oskars Vientiess - Daugavpils vs Metta (29 September 2023)
* Kenroy Campbell - Daugavpils vs Riga (21 October 2023)
* Bacary Sané - Liepāja vs Auda (21 October 2023)
* Kristupas Keršys - Metta vs Jelgava (22 October 2023)
* Ikuto Gomi - Jelgava vs Auda (28 October 2023)
* Djibril Guèye - Metta vs Valmiera (29 October 2023)
* Emīls Urbāns - RFS vs Daugavpils (29 October 2023)
* Kristers Čudars - Jelgava vs Valmiera (5 November 2023)
* Niks Sliede - Jelgava vs Valmiera (5 November 2023)