# 2013 Latvian Higher League

The 2013 Latvian Higher League was the 22nd season of top-tier football in Latvia. FC Daugava were the defending champions. The season started on 29 March 2013.
The league comprised ten teams. The champions of this season were FK Ventspils, followed by Skonto FC

## Teams

The league had a ten-team circuit like the 2012 season. 2012 Latvian First League champions Ilūkstes NSS from Ilūkste were directly promoted.
FK Daugava Rīga finished the 2012 season in ninth place and were therefore required to compete in a two-legged promotion/relegation play-off against First Division runners-up BFC Daugava. FK Daugava Riga won the play-off 4–1 on aggregate and therefore stayed in the Higher League.

### Stadiums and locations

| Club | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
| FC Daugava | Daugavpils | Daugava Stadium | 4,100 |
| FK Daugava Rīga | Riga | Daugava Stadium | 5,000 |
| Ilūkstes NSS | Ilūkste | Ilūkstes pilsētas stadions | 500 |
| FK Jelgava | Jelgava | Zemgales Olimpiskais Sporta Centrs | 2,200 |
| FC Jūrmala | Jūrmala | Slokas Stadium | 5,000 |
| SK Liepājas Metalurgs | Liepāja | Daugava Stadium | 6,000 |
| FS Metta/LU | Riga | Stadions Arkādija | 500 |
| Skonto FC | Riga | Skonto Stadium | 10,000 |
| FK Spartaks Jūrmala | Jūrmala | Slokas Stadium | 5,000 |
| FK Ventspils | Ventspils | Olimpiskais Stadium | 3,200 |

### Personnel and kits

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
| FC Daugava Daugavpils | Ivan Tabanov | Daniel Ola | Erreà | — |
| FK Daugava Rīga | Virginijus Liubšys | Mantas Savenas | Nike | — |
| Ilūkstes NSS | Alens Vinakurovs | Dmitri Kozlov | Erreà | — |
| FK Jelgava | Sergejs Golubevs | Deniss Petrenko | Macron | Igate |
| FC Jūrmala | Mihails Koņevs | Alberts Nikoļskis | Givova | — |
| SK Liepājas Metalurgs | Jānis Intenbergs | Antons Jemeļins | Adidas | — |
| FS Metta/LU | Andris Riherts | Artūrs Biezais | Nike | SMS Credit.lv |
| Skonto FC | Tamaz Pertia | Juris Laizāns | Jako | Granat Investment |
| FK Spartaks Jūrmala | Jurijs Popkovs | Dmitrijs Daņilovs | Nike | — |
| FK Ventspils | Jurģis Pučinsks | Vitālijs Smirnovs | Adidas | VK Tranzīts |

### Managerial changes

| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
| Jelgava | Dainis Kazakevičs | Own decision | 4 December 2012 | Pre-Season | Jānis Dreimanis | 20 December 2012 |
| Skonto | Marians Pahars | Own decision | 22 December 2012 | Pre-Season | Tamaz Pertia | 22 December 2012 |
| FK Daugava Rīga | Jurijs Popkovs | End of contract | 27 December 2012 | Pre-Season | Virginijus Liubšys | 27 December 2012 |
| FC Jūrmala | Vladimir Pachko | End of contract | 9 January 2013 | Pre-Season | Mihails Koņevs | 9 January 2013 |
| Spartaks | Arminas Narbekovas | End of contract | 10 December 2012 | Pre-Season | Oleg Kubarev | 7 February 2013 |
| Ilūkste | Alens Vinakurovs | Own decision | 6 March 2013 | Pre-Season | Vladimir Pachko | 6 March 2013 |
| Jelgava | Jānis Dreimanis | Health issues | 22 March 2013 | Pre-Season | Sergejs Golubevs | 22 March 2013 |
| Spartaks | Oleg Kubarev | Sacked | 27 July 2013 | 5th | Aleksandrs Stradiņš | 27 July 2013 |
| Spartaks | Aleksandrs Stradiņš | Sacked | 22 September 2013 | 6th | Jurijs Popkovs | 22 September 2013 |
| Ilūkste | Vladimir Pachko | Own decision | End of September | 10th | Alens Vinakurovs | End of September |

## Broadcasting

As in the previous season most of the matches are being transmitted live via sportacentrs.com online and sportacentrs TV channel. In June 2012 broadcasting rights were also bought by the English company Bet365. Since 2012, the league's homepage futbolavirsliga.lv has been active and since September 2012 this website has been accompanied by the InStat Football system, showing information and analysis of each match individually. Since October 2012, the Virslīga has also had its own analytical broadcast after each round of matches with football experts discussing the games and future events connected to Latvian football. It is transmitted via sportacentrs TV.

## League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Ventspils (C) | 27 | 21 | 4 | 2 | 65 | 19 | +46 | 67 | Qualification for Champions League second qualifying round |
| 2 | Skonto | 27 | 18 | 8 | 1 | 68 | 11 | +57 | 62 | Excluded from European competitions |
| 3 | Daugava Daugavpils | 27 | 15 | 7 | 5 | 44 | 19 | +25 | 52 | Qualification for Europa League first qualifying round |
| 4 | Daugava Rīga | 27 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 44 | 21 | +23 | 48 | Qualification for Europa League first qualifying round |
| 5 | Liepājas Metalurgs | 27 | 11 | 7 | 9 | 54 | 35 | +19 | 40 | Dissolved after the season |
| 6 | Jūrmala | 27 | 7 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 52 | −32 | 26 | |
| 7 | Spartaks Jūrmala | 27 | 7 | 4 | 16 | 30 | 49 | −19 | 25 | |
| 8 | Jelgava | 27 | 5 | 8 | 14 | 26 | 46 | −20 | 23 | Qualification for Europa League first qualifying round |
| 9 | METTA/LU (O) | 27 | 4 | 7 | 16 | 15 | 47 | −32 | 19 | Qualification for relegation play-offs |
| 10 | Ilūkstes NSS (R) | 27 | 2 | 6 | 19 | 26 | 93 | −67 | 12 | Relegation to Latvian First League |
* ↑ UEFA barred Skonto from European competitions for three years for falling foul of Financial Fair Play regulations.

### Relegation play-offs

The 9th-placed sides will face the runners-up of the 2013 Latvian First League in a two-legged play-off, with the winner being awarded a spot in the 2014 Higher League competition.
FS METTA/LU won 5–2 on aggregate.

## Season statistics
### Top scorers

    As of 9 November 2013
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Artūrs Karašausks | Skonto FC | 16 |
| 1 | Andrejs Kovaļovs | FC Daugava | 16 |
| 2 | Valērijs Šabala | Skonto FC | 15 |
| 3 | Mantas Savėnas | Daugava Rīga | 12 |
| 3 | Vadim Yanchuk | FK Ventspils | 12 |
| 4 | Daniils Turkovs | FK Ventspils | 11 |
| 5 | Povilas Lukšys | Daugava Rīga | 10 |

## Player of the Month

| Month | Player | Club |
| March/April | Mantas Savenas | FK Daugava Rīga |
| May | Patrick Twumasi | FK Spartaks Jūrmala |
| June | Andrejs Kovaļovs | FC Daugava |
| July | Paulius Grybauskas | Skonto FC |
| August | Ruslan Mingazow | Skonto FC |
| September | Juris Laizāns | Skonto FC |
| October/November | Kaspars Ikstens | FK Jelgava |

## Manager of the Month

| Month | Manager | Club |
| March/April | Virginijus Liubšys | FK Daugava Rīga |
| May | Jurģis Pučinsks | FK Ventspils |
| June | Tamaz Pertia | Skonto FC |
| July | Jurģis Pučinsks | FK Ventspils |
| August | Jurģis Pučinsks | FK Ventspils |
| September | Sergejs Golubevs | FK Jelgava |
| October/November | Jurģis Pučinsks | FK Ventspils |

## Team of the Tournament
### LFF version

| Position | Player | Club |
| Goalkeeper | Paulius Grybauskas | Skonto FC |
| Defender | Antons Kurakins | FK Ventspils |
| Defender | Vitālijs Smirnovs | FK Ventspils |
| Defender | Nauris Bulvītis | Skonto FC |
| Defender | Vladislavs Gabovs | Skonto FC |
| Midfielder | Jurijs Žigajevs | FK Ventspils |
| Midfielder | Aleksandrs Fertovs | Skonto FC |
| Midfielder | Juris Laizāns | Skonto FC |
| Midfielder | Ruslan Mingazov | Skonto FC |
| Forward | Vadim Yanchuk | FK Ventspils |
| Forward | Valērijs Šabala | Skonto FC |
| Manager | Jurģis Pučinsks | FK Ventspils |

### Sporta Avīze version

| Position | Player | Club |
| Goalkeeper | Paulius Grybauskas | Skonto FC |
| Defender | Vladislavs Gabovs | Skonto FC |
| Defender | Kaspars Dubra | FK Ventspils |
| Defender | Renārs Rode | Skonto FC |
| Midfielder | Jurijs Žigajevs | FK Ventspils |
| Midfielder | Valērijs Afanasjevs | FK Liepājas Metalurgs |
| Midfielder | Juris Laizāns | Skonto FC |
| Midfielder | Ruslan Mingazov | Skonto FC |
| Midfielder | Andrejs Kovaļovs | FC Daugava |
| Forward | Artūrs Karašausks | Skonto FC |
| Forward | Valērijs Šabala | Skonto FC |
| Manager | Tamaz Pertia | Skonto FC |

### sportacentrs.com version

| Position | Player | Club |
| Goalkeeper | Paulius Grybauskas | Skonto FC |
| Defender | Antons Kurakins | FK Ventspils |
| Defender | Renārs Rode | Skonto FC |
| Defender | Kaspars Dubra | FK Ventspils |
| Defender | Vladislavs Gabovs | Skonto FC |
| Midfielder | Juris Laizāns | Skonto FC |
| Midfielder | Jurijs Žigajevs | FK Ventspils |
| Midfielder | Andrejs Kovaļovs | FC Daugava |
| Midfielder | Ruslan Mingazov | Skonto FC |
| Forward | Daniils Turkovs | FK Ventspils |
| Forward | Artūrs Karašausks | Skonto FC |
| Manager | Jurģis Pučinsks | FK Ventspils |

## Awards

LFF awards 2013 :
| Category | Winner | Club |
| Best goalkeeper | Paulius Grybauskas | Skonto FC |
| Best defender | Vladislavs Gabovs | Skonto FC |
| Best midfielder | Jurijs Žigajevs | FK Ventspils |
| Best forward | Valērijs Šabala | Skonto FC |
| Top scorer | Artūrs Karašausks / Andrejs Kovaļovs | Skonto FC / FC Daugava |
| Best U-21 player | Jevgēņijs Kazačoks | FK Spartaks Jūrmala |
| Best player | Jurijs Žigajevs | FK Ventspils |
| Best manager | Jurģis Pučinsks | FK Ventspils |
| Goal of the season | Jurijs Žigajevs vs FK Spartaks Jūrmala | FK Ventspils |
| Fair play award | Club award | FC Jūrmala |
| Best match organisation | Club award | FK Liepājas Metalurgs |