# FK Metta

FK Metta (also called FK Metta/Latvijas Universitāte from 2007 till the end of 2018 season) is a professional Latvian football club in Riga. As of 2012 they play in the Latvian Higher League. Metta play their home games at Daugava Stadium. Until June 2018, their home venue was the Riga Hanza Secondary School Stadium.

## History

FS Metta was officially founded on May 2, 2006, though the club had been active in youth tournaments since 2000. In 2007 FS Metta and University of Latvia (Latvijas Universitāte) merged as a senior professional team and participated in the Latvian Championship first division (Traffic 1. līga). They finished the season in the fourth position. The club remained at the same level for the next four seasons. Though a professional club, Metta retained the prefix FS (Futbola Skola), since their policy was to invest in youth players. In 2011 Metta won the Latvian First League championship and were automatically promoted to the Latvian Higher League – the top tier of Latvian football.
The affiliation with the university provides the club with a greater financial backing and the players with the opportunity, if wanted, to study at the most prestigious Latvian University. The club was created with the aim to gather the greatest youth talents from across the country and surrounding areas to build and shape them into expensive players for sale to bigger clubs.
In 2020 FK Metta were the youngest top-tier team in Europe. At the end of the season, the team's average age was 19,5.
In September 2020, FK Metta forward Raimonds Krollis made his debut for the Latvia national football team. He became the first-ever player that has gone through the whole FK Metta academy and played for the Senior national team.

### Patron of the University of Latvia

Football school "Metta" is a silver patron of the University of Latvia Foundation. They have supported the University of Latvia since 2016, donating to the football system and scholarships.

### Participation in Latvian Championships

| Season | Division (Name) | Pos./Teams | Pl. | W | D | L | GS | GA | P | Latvian Football Cup |
| 2007 | 2nd (1.līga) | 4/(16) | 30 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 67 | 23 | 61 | 1/8 finals |
| 2008 | 2nd (1.līga) | 5/(15) | 28 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 43 | 27 | 48 | 1/8 finals |
| 2009 | 2nd (1.līga) | 6/(14) | 26 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 47 | 19 | 45 | Not Held |
| 2010 | 2nd (1.līga) | 5/(12) | 22 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 42 | 25 | 36 | 1/8 finals |
| 2011 | 2nd (1.līga) | 1/(13) | 24 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 61 | 14 | 56 | 1/8 finals |
| 2012 | 1st (Virslīga) | 8(10) | 36 | 7 | 8 | 21 | 39 | 82 | 29 | 1/8 finals |
| 2013 | 1st (Virslīga) | 9(10) | 27 | 4 | 7 | 16 | 15 | 47 | 19 | 1/16 finals |
| 2014 | 1st (Virslīga) | 9(10) | 36 | 3 | 7 | 26 | 26 | 69 | 16 | 1/16 finals |
| 2015 | 1st (Virslīga) | 7(8) | 24 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 19 | 56 | 12 | 1/4 finals |
| 2016 | 1st (Virslīga) | 7(8) | 28 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 32 | 47 | 30 | 1/4 finals |
| 2017 | 1st (Virslīga) | 7(8) | 24 | 3 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 46 | 15 | 1/4 finals |
| 2018 | 1st (Virslīga) | 7(8) | 28 | 5 | 4 | 19 | 24 | 52 | 19 | 1/2 finals |
| 2019 | 1st (Virslīga) | 9(9) | 32 | 6 | 8 | 18 | 35 | 60 | 26 | 1/8 finals |
| 2020 | 1st (Virslīga) | 9(10) | 27 | 4 | 4 | 19 | 22 | 55 | 16 | 1/8 finals |

## Honours

* Latvian First League
** Champions (1): 2011

## Managers

* Andris Riherts (02.05.2006 – 09.06.2021)
* Andrejs Gluščuks (11.06.2021 – present)

## Current players
### First-team squad

As of 2 September, 2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | LVA | Alvis Sorokins |
| 2 | DF | LVA | Rendijs Šibass |
| 3 | MF | USA | Jordan Bender |
| 4 | DF | LVA | Kārlis Vilnis |
| 5 | DF | GHA | Yusif Yakubu |
| 6 | MF | LVA | Oskars Vientiess |
| 7 | FW | SEN | Mohamet Lamine Corréa |
| 8 | MF | LVA | Kristaps Grabovskis (on loan from Rapid Wien II) |
| 9 | FW | BRA | Vinícius Souza |
| 10 | FW | LVA | Bruno Melnis |
| 11 | FW | LVA | Artjoms Puzirevskis |
| 12 | GK | LVA | Toms Tolmanis |
| 13 | MF | LVA | Tomass Zants |
| 14 | DF | LVA | Hugo Jesse |
| 15 | MF | LVA | Daņiils Čiņajevs |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 16 | DF | LVA | Ivo Minkevičs |
| 17 | FW | LVA | Markuss Ivulāns |
| 18 | DF | LVA | Mikus Vasilevskis |
| 19 | MF | LVA | Ralfs Pakulis |
| 20 | MF | LVA | Emils Aizpurietis |
| 21 | MF | LVA | Kristofers Rēķis |
| 22 | DF | ITA | Gianluca Scremin |
| 23 | FW | GHA | Mahamud Karimu |
| 24 | GK | LVA | Ņikita Parfjonovs |
| 25 | MF | UKR | Yevhen Stadnik |
| 26 | MF | UKR | Oleksandr Kurtsev |
| 28 | MF | LVA | Daniils Ulimbaševs |
| 33 | DF | LVA | Jegors Novikovs (on loan from FK Auda) |

### Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | DF | LTU | Kristupas Keršys (at FA Šiauliai until 30 November 2024) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | LVA | Lūkass Vapne (at Valmiera until 31 December 2024) |

### Player of the year

| Season | Player |
| 2006 | Jānis Kauss |
| 2007 | Vladimirs Cīmanis |
| 2008 | Ivars Gailis |
| 2009 | Marsels Vapne |
| 2010 | Juris Skābardis |
| 2011 | Rūdolfs Puķītis |
| 2012 | Mārtiņš Milašēvičs |
| 2013 | Gatis Kalniņš |
| 2014 | Edgars Vardanjans |
| 2015 | Eduards Emsis |
| 2016 | Roberts Uldriķis |
| 2017 | Dāvis Indrāns |
| 2019 | Dāvis Ošs |
| 2019 | Kgotso Masangane |
| 2020 | Raimonds Krollis |
| 2021 | Lūkass Vapne |
| 2022 | Jānis Beks |

## Club officials
### Board of directors

* General secretary: Ģirts Mihelsons
* Executive Director: Maira Mihelsone

### Coaching staff

* Manager: Andris Riherts
* Coach: Kristaps Niemans
* Coach: Jurģis Rosenbergs
* Fitness Coach: Filips Grojsmans
* Second team coach: Aleksejs Berezins
* Goalkeeping Coach: Vsevolods Popkovs

### Medical staff

* Physiotherapist: Rajmonds Hegels
* Physiotherapist: Aleksandrs Volodins

### Staff

* Press Officer: Māris Gerhards
* PR manager: Vladimirs Morozovs
* Technical manager: Ivans Rebrovs

## Shirt sponsors and manufacturers

| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt Sponsor |
| 2007 | Nike | Deac |
| 2008 | Nike | Elko |
| 2009 | Nike | Deac |
| 2010 | Nike | Deac |
| 2011 | Nike | Deac |
| 2012 | Nike | SMScredit.lv |
| 2013 | Nike | SMScredit.lv |
| 2014 | Nike | none |
| 2015 | Nike | none |
| 2016 | Nike | none |
| 2017 | Nike | none |
| 2018 | Nike | none |
| 2019 | Nike | none |
| 2020 | Nike | none |
| 2021 | Nike | none |