Riga FC explained

Clubname:Riga FC
Fullname:Riga Football Club
Ground:Skonto Stadium
Capacity:8,087
Chairman:Aleksandrs Proņins
Manager:Simo Valakari
League:Virslīga
Season:2023
Position:Virslīga, 2nd of 10
Website:http://www.rigafc.lv/
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Riga Football Club, commonly referred to as Riga FC, is a Latvian football club, founded in 2014. The club is based at the Skonto Stadium in Riga. Since 2016, the club has been playing in the Virslīga.

History

The club was officially registered in April 2014.[1] The team was established before the 2015 season after a merger of two Riga based teams – FC Caramba and Dinamo Rīga. In the 2015 season, under the name FC Caramba/Dinamo, the team played in the Latvian First League by using the licence received by FC Caramba, an unrelated team founded by future FK RFS co-founder Maksims Krivuņecs, which had won promotion to the 1. līga after winning the Latvian Second League in 2014.[2] After winning the 2015 First League and earning promotion to the Higher League, the club changed its name to Riga FC.[3]

In 2017, Riga FC acquired the Šitiks Football Academy (Šitika FA), founded in 2001 by Genādijs Šitiks, and operates as one of its youth academies, Riga FC Academy.[4] [5]

In 2018, the Ukrainian Viktor Skrypnyk was appointed as coach. He managed to lead the club to two Latvian Higher Leagues in 2018, 2019 and the Latvian Football Cup in 2018.

Domestic

SeasonDivision (Name)Pos./TeamsPl.WDLGSGAPLatvian Football CupTop Scorer (League)Manager
20152nd1/(16)3027301421484Round of 16 Verners Apiņš – 31 Mihails Koņevs
20161st5/(8)288128282436align=center bgcolor=silverRunner-up Roberts Savaļnieks
Yōsuke Saitō – 5
Kiril Kurbatov
Dmitri Khomukha
Vladimir Volchek
20171st3/(7)241077282037align=center bgcolor=silverRunner-up Bogdan Vaštšuk – 8 Vladimir Volchek
Mihails Koņevs
Yevgeny Perevertaylo
Slaviša Stojanovič
20181stalign=center bgcolor=gold1/(8)282044451664align=center bgcolor=goldWinner Darko Lemajić – 15 Goce Sedloski
Mihails Koņevs
Viktor Skrypnyk
20191stalign=center bgcolor=gold1/(9)322066592166Semi-Finals Roman Debelko – 7 Luís Berkemeier Pimenta
Oleg Kubarev
Mihails Koņevs
20201stalign=center bgcolor=gold1/(10)272304602169Quarter-finals Kule Mbombo – 12 Oleg Kononov
Mihails Koņevs
20211stalign=center 4/(9)281486542650Semifinals Stefan Milošević – 13 Denis Laktionov
Kristaps Blanks
Andris Rihters
Sashko Poposki
20221stalign=center bgcolor=silver2/(10)362637682381Round of 16 Marcelo Torres – 11 Thorsten Fink
Kristaps Blanks
Sandro Perković
20231stalign=center bgcolor=silver2/(10)362772892188align=center bgcolor=goldWinner Marko Regža – 19 Tomislav Stipić

European

Fully up to date as of 1 August 2024

CompetitionPldWDLGFGAGD
UEFA Champions League5 0 3 2 1 4 –3
UEFA Europa League10 4 2 4 11 12 –1
UEFA Europa Conference League20 10 2 8 27 24 +3
Total35147143940–1
SeasonCompetitionRoundClubHomeAwayAgg.
2018–19UEFA Europa League1QR CSKA Sofia1−00−11−1
2019–20UEFA Champions League1QR Dundalk0−00−00−0
UEFA Europa League2QR Piast Gliwice2−12−34−4 (a)
3QR HJK1−12−23−3 (a)
PO Copenhagen1−01−32−3
2020–21UEFA Champions League1QR Maccabi Tel Aviv0−2
UEFA Europa League2QR Tre Fiori1−0
3QR Celtic0−1
2021–22UEFA Champions League1QR Malmö1−10−11−2
UEFA Europa Conference League2QR Shkëndija2−01−03−0
3QR Hibernians0−14−1 4−2
PO Lincoln Red Imps1−11−3 2−4
2022–23UEFA Europa Conference League1QR Derry City2−02−04−0
2QR Ružomberok2−13−05−1
3QR Gil Vicente1−10−41−5
2023–24UEFA Europa Conference League1QR Víkingur Reykjavík2−00−12−1
2QR Kecskemét3−1 1−24−3
3QR Twente0−30−20−5
2024–25UEFA Conference League Śląsk Wrocław1−01−32−3
Notes

Honours

Kits

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

PeriodKit manufacturerShirt sponsor
2015Adidas
2016Jako
2017Marine Service Group
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022

Players

Out on loan

(on loan at FK Auda) (on loan at Auda) (on loan at Tukums 2000)

Captains

SeasonCaptain
2016MF Oļegs Laizāns
2017DF Kaspars Gorkšs
2018DF Volodymyr Bayenko
2019MF Aleksejs Višņakovs
2020MF Stefan Panić
2021DF Antonijs Černomordijs
2022
2023MF Miloš Jojić

Current staff

As of 14 December 2023 [6] [7]

Coaches
PositionName
Head coach Simo Valakari
Assistant coach Vjekoslav Miletić
Coach Sergejs Kožans
Coach Kristaps Blanks
Goalkeeper coach Goran Brašnić
Fitness coach Milenko Kumić
Physiotherapist Roberts Krčmar
Medical department
PositionName
Doctor Viktors Simanovičs
Doctor Rolands Brencāns

Current board

As of 13 March 2021 [8]

Management and administration
PositionName
Director-General Aleksandrs Proņins
Sport director Aleksandrs Romašins
Executive director Romāns Lajuks
Administrator Deniss Čerņikovs
Press officer Krišs Upenieks
Creative director Sergejs Sobolevs
Project manager Andrejs Kaješovs
Photographer Zigismunds Zālmanis
Video operator Andrejs Guļko

Controversies

In 2020, it was reported that Russian businessman Sergey Lomakin, the owner of Riga FC, was included in Latvia's persona non grata list.[9] This was denied by the board of the club.[10]

Notable players

Latvia
Europe
Africa
Asia
South America

Former managers

CoachPeriodMajor
Titles
Domestic
fromuntildays
Mihails Koņevs 1 March 201530 November 2015 11
Kiril Kurbatov1 January 201610 April 2016
Dmitri Khomukha11 April 20169 August 2016
Vladimir Volchek12 August 201619 April 2017
Mihails Koņevs (caretaker)20 April 201711 May 2017
Yevgeny Perevertaylo12 May 201729 July 2017
Slaviša Stojanović30 July 201731 December 2017
Goce Sedloski27 January 201825 May 2018
Mihails Koņevs (caretaker)26 May 20184 July 2018
Viktor Skrypnyk5 July 201831 January 2019 211
Luís Berkemeier Pimenta5 February 20192 March 2019
Mihails Koņevs (caretaker)3 March 201927 March 2019
Oleg Kubarev28 March 201926 April 2019
Mihails Koņevs 27 April 20195 February 202011
Oleg Kononov5 February 202011 November 2020
Mihails Koņevs (caretaker)12 November 202031 December 202011
Denis Laktionov1 January 202125 May 2021
Kristaps Blanks (caretaker)27 May 20218 June 2021
Andris Rihters 9 June 202110 September 2021
Sashko Poposki (caretaker)12 September 202130 November 2021
4 January 202216 May 2022
Kristaps Blanks (caretaker)16 May 20227 June 2022
Sandro Perković7 June 20227 January 2023
Tomislav Stipić7 January 202313 December 202311
Simo Valakari14 December 2023present-

Player records

Top goalscorers

width=6%width=20%Namewidth=12%Yearswidth=12%Leaguewidth=12%Cupwidth=12%Europewidth=14%Total
1 Darko Lemajić2017 – 2019
2 Marko Regža2023 – present
3 Mikael Soisalo2021 – 2023
4 Felipe Brisola2018 – 2021
5 Douglas Aurélio2022 – present
6 Gabriel Ramos2021 – 2022
Stefan Milošević2020 – 2021
8 Kamil Biliński2018 – 2019
Roman Debelko2019 – 2020
10 Marcelo Torres2022 – 2022

Bold signifies a current Riga FC player

Most appearances

width=6%width=20%Namewidth=12%Yearswidth=12%Leaguewidth=12%Cupwidth=12%Europewidth=14%Total
1 Armands Pētersons2016 – present
2 Antonijs Černomordijs2016 – 2017
2018 – present
3 Oļegs Laizāns2016 – 2021
4 Roberts Ozols2015 – present
5 Antons Kurakins2017 – present

Bold signifies a current Riga FC player

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Riga Football Club, 40008223802 - company data. LURSOFT. 2019-04-01. Lursoft. en. 2019-04-01. 2021-08-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20210818235238/https://company.lursoft.lv/en/fc-caramba-riga/40008223802. live.
  2. Web site: Novickis . Edmunds . 2016-02-26 . Virslīgas kluba RFS pārstāvji ar entuziasmu: "Šis projekts 100% ir ilgtermiņa!" . Representatives of Virslīga club RFS say with enthusiasm "This project is 100% long-term!" . 2024-01-26 . Sportacentrs.com . lv.
  3. News: "Caramba/Dinamo" pārmaiņas: jauns treneris, cits nosaukums un stadions. sportacentrs.com. 22 December 2015. lv. 24 February 2016. 25 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160325142500/http://sportacentrs.com/futbols/virsliga/22122015-caramba_dinamo_lielas_parmainas_jauns_tre. live.
  4. Web site: Genādija Šitika trešais cikls . 2023-10-18 . Sporto . lv.
  5. Web site: Par mums – Riga Football Club Academy . 2023-10-18 . en-US.
  6. Web site: Coaches and staff - Riga Football Club. 2021-07-18. www.rigafc.lv. 2021-07-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20210718091058/https://www.rigafc.lv/en/members/6. live.
  7. Web site: Coaches and staff – Riga FC. Riga FC. 13 March 2021. 18 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210518161734/https://lff.lv/klubi/riga-fc-11950/?cid=9852303. live.
  8. Web site: Management and administration – Riga FC. Riga FC. 13 March 2021. 18 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210518161734/https://lff.lv/klubi/riga-fc-11950/?cid=9852303. live.
  9. Web site: Pēdējo gadu Latvijas spēcīgākās futbola komandas īpašnieks iekļauts valstij nevēlamo personu sarakstā . 2024-02-20 . Jauns.lv . lv.
  10. Web site: курс . The Baltic Course-Балтийский . Latvian football club Riga owner Lomakin included on persona non grata list . 2024-02-20 . The Baltic Course Baltic States news & analytics.