The 2022 Latvian Higher League (Latvian: 2022. gada Virslīga) was the 31st season of the Virslīga, the top tier of men's association football in Latvia. The season began on 11 March 2022 and concluded on 12 November 2022. Ten clubs competed in a quadruple round‑robin format, playing each other four times for a total of 36 matches per team.
Season overview
- Champion: Valmiera FC (first league title)
- Runners‑up: FK RFS
- Third place: FK Liepāja
- Continental qualification:
- Valmiera FC qualified for the 2023–24 UEFA Champions League first qualifying round.
- FK RFS and FK Liepāja qualified for the 2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League first qualifying round.
- Relegation: The team finishing 10th, BFC Daugavpils, was directly relegated to the 2023 Latvian First League. The 9th‑placed team entered a two‑legged promotion/relegation playoff against the runner‑up of the First League.
Participating clubs
| Club | Home city | Stadium (capacity) |
|---|---|---|
| Valmiera FC | Valmiera | Jāņa Daliņa stadium (1,275) |
| FK RFS | Riga | RFS sporta komplekss (5,300) |
| FK Liepāja | Liepāja | Daugava Stadium (5,038) |
| FK Auda | Riga | Jāņavārti (1,000) |
| FK Spartaks Jūrmala | Jūrmala | Slokas Stadium (2,500) |
| BFC Daugavpils | Daugavpils | Daugava Stadium (4,100) |
| FK Jelgava | Jelgava | Zemgale Olympic Centre (1,500) |
| FK Metta‑Luņķi | Riga | Daugavas stadions (500) |
| SK Super Nova | Salaspils | Salaspils stadium (500) |
| FK Tukums 2000 | Tukums | Tukums Stadium (1,000) |
League format
Each club played every other club four times (twice at home, twice away). Points were awarded using the standard system (three for a win, one for a draw, none for a loss). Teams were ranked by total points, with goal difference and goals scored used as tiebreakers.
Final table (selected positions)
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valmiera FC | 36 | 20 | 9 | 7 | 63 | 38 | +25 | 69 |
| 2 | FK RFS | 36 | 19 | 8 | 9 | 61 | 41 | +20 | 65 |
| 3 | FK Liepāja | 36 | 18 | 7 | 11 | 58 | 45 | +13 | 61 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| 10 | BFC Daugavpils | 36 | 5 | 9 | 22 | 30 | 71 | –41 | 24 |
Top scorer
The league’s leading goal‑scorer was Vjačeslavs Rumjancevs (FK RFS) with 20 goals.
Relegation playoff
The 9th‑placed team, SK Super Nova, contested a two‑legged playoff against the 2022 First League runner‑up, FK Tukums 2000. SK Super Nova retained its place in the Virslīga after winning 3–2 on aggregate.
Awards
- Player of the Year: Andrejs Kovaļovs (Valmiera FC)
- Coach of the Year: Rihards Gorkšs (Valmiera FC)
References
- Latvian Football Federation (LFF) – official competition records.
- UEFA club coefficient reports for the 2023–24 season.
- Match reports and statistical summaries published by the LFF and reputable sports news outlets.
All data reflect information verified from official league publications and governing‑body records.
