Latvian First League
 | |
| Founded | 1992 |
|---|---|
| Country |  Latvia |
| Number of teams | 14 |
| Level on pyramid | 2 |
| Promotion to | TonyBet Virslīga |
| Relegation to | Altero.lv LIIGA |
| Domestic cup(s) | Responsible Game Latvian Cup |
| Current champions | Grobiņas (2023) |
| Website | lff.lv/1st-league |
| Current: 2024 Latvian First League | |
The Latvian First League (Latvian: Latvijas Pirmā līga, 1. līga) is the second tier of football in Latvia and is organised by the Latvian Football Federation. Since 2021, its full name is Optibet Nākotnes Līga (Optibet Future League) due to the sponsorship by sports betting company Optibet.
History
[edit]The league was founded together with other Latvian football competitions in 1992. From 2007 to 2008, the tournament was known as the Traffic 1. līga, due to its first sponsorship deal concluded with the "Traffic auto advert" advertising company.[1] From 2015 its name was Komanda.lv First League (Komanda.lv 1. līga) for sponsorship reasons, after the Komanda.lv sporting goods store became the league's main sponsor in 2015.[2]
Format
[edit]There are 14 clubs in the First League. During the course of the season each club plays the every other club twice, once at home and once away, with a total of 26 games. At the end of the season, the highest placed club is automatically promoted to the Virslīga. The second lowest placed club in the Virslīga and the second placed club in the First League compete in a two-legged tie for the remaining place in the following season's Virslīga. The two clubs finishing at the bottom of the First League are relegated to the Second League, while the third-from-bottom team competes in a two-legged tie with the third-placed team of the Second League for a place in the First League.[3]
First League clubs (2023)
[edit]14 clubs took part in the Optibet Nākotne līga season:[4]
- Rēzekne (Rēzekne)
- Grobiņas SC (Grobiņa)
- FK Dinamo Rīga (Riga)
- JDFS Alberts (Riga)
- Leevon Saldus (Saldus)
- FK Smiltene (Smiltene)
- Skanstes SK (Rīga)
- AFA Olaine (Olaine)
- JFK Ventspils (Ventspils)
- Riga FC-2 (Rīga)
- FK RFS-2 (Rīga)
- Valmiera FC-2 (Valmiera)
- FK Tukums 2000-2 (Tukums)
- FK Beitar (Rīga)
Past First League winners
[edit]- a Previously won as Ranto/AVV.
References
[edit]- ^ "Second division Traffic League kicks-off". Latvian Football Federation. 2007-04-04. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ^ ""komanda.lv" kļūst par 1. līgas futbola čempionāta titulsponsoru". Sportacentrs.com (in Latvian). 2015-03-12. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
- ^ "Latvijas Futbola federācija". lff.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 2022-12-29.
- ^ "Optibet Nākotnes līga". LFF.lv. LFF. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
External links
[edit]- The First League on the Latvian Football Federation website (in Latvian)
- (Archive) The page of the league on the Latvian Football Federation website (in English)
- League321.com - Latvian football league tables, records & statistics database. (in English)