The 2023 Latvian Higher League, known as the Optibet Virslīga for sponsorship reasons, was the 32nd season of top-tier football in Latvia. The season began on 11 March 2023 and ended on 11 November 2023.
The winners (RFS, their second title win) qualified for the 2024–25 Champions League first qualifying round. The second-placed team (Riga) qualified for the 2024–25 Conference League second qualifying round, with the third and fifth-placed teams (Auda and Liepāja) qualifying for the first qualifying round (fourth-placed Valmiera were refused a UEFA license). The ninth-placed team (Metta) qualified for the Latvian Higher League play-off, winning and retaining their place in the league. The bottom team (Super Nova) were relegated to the 2024 Latvian First League.
Teams Ten teams contested the league; the top nine clubs from the previous season, and one team promoted from 1. līga.
Promoted from2022 Latvian First LeagueRelegatedJelgavaSpartaks Jūrmala
FS Jelgava won promotion by winning the First League in 2022. After Spartaks Jūrmala withdrew their application for the necessary license for participation in the league, SK Super Nova (who had been relegated) were given the chance to return to the league. Ninth-placed Metta defeated Grobiņa from the Latvian First League to retain their status in the top-flight. Valmiera entered the season as defending champions.
+2023 Virslīga competitors Club Seasons in Virsliga 2022 position Stadium Capacity 10 Celtnieks Stadium1,980 2 Audas Stadions520 1 in 1. līgaZemgale Olympic Center2,500 10 Daugava Stadium (Liepāja)4,022 12 Daugava Stadium (Riga)10,461 8 LNK Sporta Parks2,300 8 Skonto Stadium8,087 2 Sloka Stadium2,500 2 Tukuma Pilsētas Stadions1,000 6 Jāņa Daliņa Stadions1,250
League table
Results
Latvian Higher League play-off The ninth-placed club (Metta) faced the third-placed club from the 2023 Latvian First League (Skanste) for the final place in the following season's Latvian Higher League.
First leg
Second leg
Season statistics Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Marko RegžaRiga192 Jānis IkaunieksRFS153 Andrej IlićRFS144 DodôLiepāja135 Reginaldo RamiresAuda126 Ismaël DiomandéBFC Daugavpils/RFS117 Jevgenijs MiņinsSuper Nova108 Emerson DeoclecianoRFS9 Raivis ĶiršsTukums 2000 Valerijs LizunovsDaugavpils Victor OsuagwuJelgava
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Ref. RFSTukums 20001–7 (A) 4RFSAuda2–5 (A) RFSTukums 20007–0 (H) ValmieraLiepāja1–4 (A) 4 Player scored 4 goals
Own goals
Clean sheets
RankPlayerClubClean sheets1 Jevgēņijs ŅerugalsRFS192 Nils PuriņšRiga163 Carlos OlsesValmiera104 Vladislavs KurakinsDaugavpils85 Fabrice OndoaAuda7 Raivo SturinsJelgava7 Roberts OzolsAuda58 Sergejs VilkovsTukums 20004 Rihards MatrevicsRiga Pāvels ŠteinborsRFS Niks AleksandrovsAuda
Discipline
Red cards
References
External links