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Skonto FC
Skonto FC was a Latvian professional Association football, football club, active from 1991 until 2016. The club played at the Skonto Stadium in Riga. Skonto won the Virsliga in the first 14 seasons of the league's resumption (15 in total), and often provided the core of the Latvia national football team. With those 14 national championships in a row, they set a European record, across men and women's football combined, until the women of Faroe Islands, Faroese Faroese club KÍ Klaksvík (women), KÍ Klaksvík won their 14th championship in a row in 2013. Following financial problems, the club was demoted to the Latvian First League in 2016 and went bankrupt in December of that year. History Fourteen titles in a row (1991–2004) Skonto FC was founded in 1991, under the guise of Forums-Skonto, and immediately started to win Latvian Higher League, league championships, 14 in a row, until finishing second to FK Liepājas Metalurgs in 2005. In 2006, Skonto finished third in a close ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2016 Latvian First League
The 2016 Latvian First League (referred to as the komanda.lv Pirmā līga for sponsorship reasons) started on 2 April 2016 and ended on 11 November 2016. League table External links The First League on the Latvian Football Federation website - Latvian football league tables, records & statistics database. {{Latvian First League seasons Latvian First League seasons 2016 in Latvian football, 2 2015–16 in European second-tier association football leagues, Latvia 2016–17 in European second-tier association football leagues, Latvia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Skonto Stadium
Skonto Stadium () is a football stadium in Riga, Latvia. The stadium was built in 2000 and currently has 8,087 seats in total (open for spectators & VIP guests on matchdays). It is the 2nd-largest stadium in Latvia, behind Daugava Stadium, also in Riga. The stadium design incorporates Skonto Hall. Description Skonto Stadium is located in the heart of Riga at 1a E. Melngaiļa Street. It is the second biggest football stadium with 8,087 seats, VIP lounges, offices, a press centre and cafes. Use Skonto Stadium is mostly used for hosting football matches. Since its opening in 2000, it has been the home stadium for the Latvian Higher League club Skonto Riga and the Latvia national football team, as well as Latvia U-21, while Daugava Stadium was scheduled for renovation. The team returned to the Daugava after renovations in the summer of 2018. However, since the fall of 2022 home matches were once again moved to Skonto Stadium due to problems with the grass pitch and other is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andrejs Rubins
Andrejs Rubins (26 November 1978 – 1 August 2022) was a Latvian professional footballer who played as a left midfielder. He was a member of the Latvia national team. After retiring as a player, Rubins worked as a football manager. Club career Born in Riga, Rubins started his career in 1996 at FK Auda in the Latvian 2nd Division. The following year he moved to Sweden with Östers, where he made eleven league appearances, before moving back to Latvia in 1998 to play for Skonto Riga. He played there for the next three seasons, and managed to win three league titles in a row. He also won the Latvian Cup twice. All in all, over those three seasons he scored 14 goals in 67 league matches. In 2000, Rubins moved to England, joining English Football League First Division club Crystal Palace. He made just 31 appearances in three seasons at the club, but still managed to impress, scoring twice in the League Cup against Leicester City and Liverpool. In December 2002, Rubins moved t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Valentīns Lobaņovs
Valentīns Lobaņovs (; born 23 October 1971 in Riga) is a former football midfielder from Latvia. He has played 58 international matches and scored 1 goal for the Latvia national team. He debuted in 1994, and played at the Euro 2004. He started his career in Skonto FC and later played for Metallurg Lipetsk, Metallurg Krasnoyarsk, Shinnik Yaroslavl, Metalurh Zaporizhzhia, FK Venta. His last club was FK Jūrmala. Honours ;Skonto *Latvian Higher League champion: 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2003 *Latvian Football Cup The Latvian Football Cup () is the main knockout cup competition in Latvian football. Since 2021, its full name is Responsible Gaming Latvian Football Cup (''Atbildīgas spēles Latvijas kauss'') due to the sponsorship by sports betting company W ... winner: 1992, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2001 External links Voetbal International [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mihails Zemļinskis
Mihails Zemļinskis (born 21 December 1969) is a Latvian politician and former professional footballer. He played as a centre-back or sweeper, making over 100 appearances for the Latvia national team. Football career Zemļinskis spent most of his career at Skonto FC except for short periods at BVSC Budapest and at Hapoel Kfar Saba. He was a skilled central defender and played for the Latvia national team after the country regained its independence in 1991. He played 105 matches and scored 12 goals for the national team, and took part in the 2004 European Championships in Portugal. Zemļinskis wore the number 4 jersey. He eventually became a football coach at FC Daugava. He is also a former head coach of the Latvia U21 team. Political career Since 2009 he has been a member of the Latvian parliament Saeima for the Social Democratic Party, commonly referred to as "Harmony". According to a request made to the European Parliament, Zemļinskis was listed as a member of the Co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Juris Laizāns
Juris Laizāns (born 6 January 1979) is a Latvian former professional footballer. A midfielder, he spent a large part of his playing career abroad in Russia. He made 113 appearances for the Latvia national team scoring 15 goals. Club career Born in Riga, Laizāns started his career with Skonto FC and moved to the Russian team CSKA Moscow in 2000. His team managed to win the UEFA Cup. After leaving CSKA Laizāns kept playing in Russia for FC Torpedo Moscow, FC Rostov, FC Kuban Krasnodar and FC Shinnik Yaroslavl. In 2009, he came back to Latvia, signing for Olimps/RFS, later also playing for FK Ventspils and participating in the UEFA Europa League group stages. Laizāns signed for Skonto FC at the start of 2010, but left the team soon - he joined the Russian team FC Salyut Belgorod. At the end of the season he was released, and he returned to Skonto FC. Playing 14 matches and scoring two goals, he again left Riga, this time in July 2011 for Fakel Voronezh, playing in the Russ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Imants Bleidelis
Imants Bleidelis (born 16 August 1975) is a Latvian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He made 106 appearances for the Latvia national team. Club career Born in Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union, Bleidelis started his career at Skonto in 1992. In 1994, he played for Inter Skonto, and then between 1994 and 1999 he played 128 games scoring 24 games for Skonto. Skonto then sold him to English club, Southampton who were then in the Premier League, for £650,000, where he joined fellow countryman Marians Pahars. Bleidelis signed a three-and-a-half-year contract. He played only three league games in three seasons, and after being allowed to go on trial in Denmark with Superliga club, Viborg January 2003 Southampton released him on 26 January, and two days later he signed a two-year contract with Viborg, where he scored six goals in 57 appearances. He left Viborg in winter 2004 after turning down a new contract. Despite offers from two Latvian clubs, Skonto a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Igors Stepanovs
Igors Stepanovs (born 21 January 1976) is a Latvian professional football coach and a former player who played as a defender. He was the manager of the Maldives under-19 national team in 2020-21. Stepanovs played 100 international matches and scored four goals for the Latvia national team. He made his debut in 1995, and played in Euro 2004. Club career Skonto Born in Ogre, Stepanovs started his club career at Skonto-Metāls (later Skonto Riga). He made his debut in senior football at just 16 years old and won seven national titles. In 1995, he made his debut for the Latvia national team and soon became a regular member of the side. While playing with Skonto, Stepanovs played against teams like Inter Milan, Barcelona, and Chelsea. In these games, Skonto and Stepanovs performed well. In 2000, he attracted interest from many European teams. Arsenal In 2000, Arsenal captain Tony Adams was injured, prompting Arsène Wenger to sign Stepanovs for a transfer fee of £1.35 milli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vitālijs Astafjevs
Vitālijs Astafjevs (born 3 April 1971) is a Latvian professional association football, football coach and former player who played as a midfielder. He is an assistant manager of Cypriot club Aris Limassol FC, Aris Limassol having previously held the role for the Latvia national football team, Latvia national team. Astafjevs won nine Latvian championships with Skonto Riga. He also played abroad for clubs in Austria, England and Russia. At international level, Astaefjevs Captain (association football), captained Latvia at UEFA Euro 2004. With 167 Cap (sport), caps for his country Astafjevs held the European record for the most international matches played, until being overtaken by Gianluigi Buffon in 2017. He is currently the joint sixteenth-List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps, most capped male footballer in history, alongside Iker Casillas. Club career Early career Born in Riga, Astafjevs started his professional career with Skonto Riga in 1992, shortl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aleksandrs Koliņko
Aleksandrs Koliņko (born 18 June 1975) is a Latvian professional football coach and a former player. He is the manager of Latvian Higher League club Super Nova. Club career Koliņko was born in Riga and started his career in 1994, playing for the Skonto Riga reserve team Interskonto, which was renamed Skonto-Metāls in 1995. After two seasons in the reserve team Koliņko broke through to the Skonto Riga first team in 1996. In 1997, Koliņko participated in the UEFA Champions League qualification match against Barcelona, but eventually he became a first eleven player just in 1999, after the retirement of Oļegs Karavajevs. Koliņko made his name in the football world during a spell at English club Crystal Palace, where his appearances were limited due to his inconsistent form. He joined the club in 2000 alongside his international teammate Andrejs Rubins. He could make brilliant saves one moment, but terrible blunders the next. Reportedly, he was disciplined by the clu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marians Pahars
Marians Pahars (born 5 August 1976) is a Latvian professional football manager and a former player. As a player, he spent the majority of his career operating as a striker for English club Southampton, where he played in the Premier League and the Championship, the latter of which he played during his final season for the club. Furthermore, he had two spells at Skonto in the Latvian Higher League. He also made 75 appearances for the Latvia national team, scoring 15 goals over an eleven-year period. Having retired from football, Pahars entered a career in coaching, starting as assistant at Skonto, which resulted in his first appointment as a manager. He went on to manage Latvia at the under-21 and senior level, before returning to club management with Jelgava. His Latvian given name is ''Marians''; however, he was generally known as ''Marian'' during his career in England. Club career Skonto Born in Chornobai in Ukraine to Latvian parents, Pahars grew up supporting Spa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
