Riga FC

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.

Not to be confused with FK Rīga.
Riga FC
Full nameRiga Football Club
Founded30 April 2014 (2014-04-30)
GroundSkonto Stadium
Capacity8,087
ChairmanAleksandrs Proņins
ManagerSimo Valakari
LeagueVirslīga
2023Virslīga, 2nd of 10
WebsiteClub website

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
Season Division (Name) Pos./Teams Pl. W D L GS GA P Latvian Football Cup Top Scorer (League) Manager
2015 2nd 1/(16) 30 27 3 0 142 14 84 Round of 16 Verners Apiņš – 31 Mihails Koņevs
2016 1st 5/(8) 28 8 12 8 28 24 36 Runner-up Roberts Savaļnieks
Yōsuke Saitō – 5		 Kiril Kurbatov
Dmitri Khomukha
Vladimir Volchek
2017 1st 3/(7) 24 10 7 7 28 20 37 Runner-up Bogdan Vaštšuk – 8 Vladimir Volchek
Mihails Koņevs
Yevgeny Perevertaylo
Slaviša Stojanovič
2018 1st 1/(8) 28 20 4 4 45 16 64 Winner Darko Lemajić – 15 Goce Sedloski
Mihails Koņevs
Viktor Skrypnyk
2019 1st 1/(9) 32 20 6 6 59 21 66 Semi-Finals Roman Debelko – 7 Luís Berkemeier Pimenta
Oleg Kubarev
Mihails Koņevs
2020 1st 1/(10) 27 23 0 4 60 21 69 Quarter-finals Kule Mbombo – 12 Oleg Kononov
Mihails Koņevs
2021 1st 4/(9) 28 14 8 6 54 26 50 Semifinals Stefan Milošević – 13 Denis Laktionov
Kristaps Blanks
Andris Rihters
Sashko Poposki
2022 1st 2/(10) 36 26 3 7 68 23 81 Round of 16 Marcelo Torres – 11 Thorsten Fink
Kristaps Blanks
Sandro Perković
2023 1st 2/(10) 36 27 7 2 89 21 88 Winner Marko Regža – 19 Tomislav Stipić

European

Fully up to date as of 17 August 2023

Competition Pld W D L GF GA GD
UEFA Champions League 503214–3
UEFA Europa League 104241112–1
UEFA Europa Conference League 189272521+4
Total 33 13 7 13 37 37 0
Season Competition Round Club Home Away Agg.
2018–19 UEFA Europa League 1QR CSKA Sofia 1−0 0−1 1−1[lower-alpha 1]
2019–20 UEFA Champions League 1QR Dundalk 0−0 0−0 0−0[lower-alpha 2]
UEFA Europa League 2QR Piast Gliwice 2−1 2−3 4−4 (a)
3QR HJK 1−1 2−2 3−3 (a)
PO Copenhagen 1−0 1−3 2−3
2020–21 UEFA Champions League 1QR Maccabi Tel Aviv — 0−2 —
UEFA Europa League 2QR Tre Fiori 1−0 — —
3QR Celtic 0−1 — —
2021–22 UEFA Champions League 1QR Malmö 1−1 0−1 1−2
UEFA Europa Conference League 2QR Shkëndija 2−0 1−0 3−0
3QR Hibernians 0−1 4−1 (a.e.t.) 4−2
PO Lincoln Red Imps 1−1 1−3 (a.e.t.) 2−4
2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League 1QR Derry City 2−0 2−0 4−0
2QR Ružomberok 2−1 3−0 5−1
3QR Gil Vicente 1−1 0−4 1−5
2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League 1QR Víkingur Reykjavík 2−0 0−1 2−1
2QR Kecskemét 3−1 (a.e.t.) 1−2 4−3
3QR Twente 0−3 0−2 0−5
2024–25 UEFA Conference League 2QR Śląsk Wrocław
Notes
  • 1QR: First qualifying round
  • 2QR: Second qualifying round
  • 3QR: Third qualifying round
  • PO: Play-off round

Honours

Kits

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors
Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2015 Adidas —
2016 Jako —
2017 Marine Service Group
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022

Players

Current squad
As of 16 March[6]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  LVA Rihards Matrevics
3 DF  SEN El Bachir Ngom
6 MF  LVA Tomašs Mickēvičs
7 MF  ARG Brian Orosco (on loan from Estudiantes de La Plata)
8 MF  SRB Miloš Jojić (captain)
11 MF  ESP Brian Peña
12 GK  LVA Kristaps Zommers
13 DF  LVA Raivis Jurkovskis
14 MF  CRO Hrvoje Babec
15 DF  CRO Petar Bosančić
16 GK  LVA Nils Toms Puriņš
17 MF  NGA Olabanjo Ogunji
18 FW  LVA Marko Regža
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 FW  NGA Abdulrahman Taiwo
20 MF  ARG Gonzalo Muscia
21 DF  GHA Baba Musah
22 MF  SEN Ousseynou Niang
23 MF  LVA Eduards Dašķevičs
24 MF  PER Luis Iberico
25 DF  COD Ngonda Muzinga
32 MF  BRA Lucas Cardoso
33 DF  LVA Kirils Iljins
34 DF  LVA Antonijs Černomordijs
35 DF  ARG Iván Erquiaga
77 MF  COD Gauthier Mankenda
93 MF  FRA Kemelho Nguena

Other players under contract

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
9 FW  CRC Anthony Contreras (on loan at Pafos)
— FW  BFA Ousmane Camara (on loan at Auda)
— FW  UKR Maksym Parkhomenko (on loan at Tukums 2000)

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

Current staff

As of 14 December 2023 [7][8]

Coaches
Position Name
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
Position Name
Doctor Viktors Simanovičs
Doctor Rolands Brencāns

Current board

As of 13 March 2021 [9]

Management and administration
Position Name
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.[10] This was denied by the board of the club.[11]

Notable players

Former managers
Coach Period Major
Titles		 Domestic
fromuntildays LČ LK 1L
Mihails Koņevs 1 March 201530 November 2015274 1 ––1
Kiril Kurbatov 1 January 201610 April 2016100 – –––
Dmitri Khomukha 11 April 20169 August 2016120 – –––
Vladimir Volchek 12 August 201619 April 2017250 – –––
Mihails Koņevs (caretaker) 20 April 201711 May 201721 – –––
Yevgeny Perevertaylo 12 May 201729 July 201778 – –––
Slaviša Stojanović 30 July 201731 December 2017154 – –––
Goce Sedloski 27 January 201825 May 2018118 – –––
Mihails Koņevs (caretaker) 26 May 20184 July 201839 – –––
Viktor Skrypnyk 5 July 201831 January 2019210 2 11–
Luís Berkemeier Pimenta 5 February 20192 March 201925 – –––
Mihails Koņevs (caretaker) 3 March 201927 March 201924 – –––
Oleg Kubarev 28 March 201926 April 201929 – –––
Mihails Koņevs 27 April 20195 February 2020284 1 1––
Oleg Kononov 5 February 202011 November 2020280 – –––
Mihails Koņevs (caretaker) 12 November 202031 December 202049 1 1––
Denis Laktionov 1 January 2021 25 May 2021 144 – – – –
Kristaps Blanks (caretaker) 27 May 20218 June 202112 – –––
Andris Rihters 9 June 202110 September 202193 – –––
Sashko Poposki (caretaker) 12 September 202130 November 202179 – –––
Thorsten Fink 4 January 202216 May 2022132 – –––
Kristaps Blanks (caretaker) 16 May 20227 June 202222 – –––
Sandro Perković 7 June 20227 January 2023214 – –––
Tomislav Stipić 7 January 202313 December 2023340 1 –1–
Simo Valakari 14 December 2023present197 – –-–

Player records

Top goalscorers
As of 11 November 2023
# Name Years League Cup Europe Total
1 Darko Lemajić2017 – 2019233026
2 Marko Regža2023 – present191121
3 Mikael Soisalo2021 – 2023160319
4 Felipe Brisola2018 – 2021152118
5 Douglas Aurélio2022 – present131317
6 Gabriel Ramos2021 – 2022120315
Stefan Milošević2020 – 2021150015
8 Kamil Biliński2018 – 201975214
Roman Debelko2019 – 2020110314
10 Marcelo Torres2022 – 2022110112

Bold signifies a current Riga FC player

Most appearances
As of 30 November 2021
# Name Years League Cup Europe Total
1 Armands Pētersons2016 – present1171117145
2 Antonijs Černomordijs2016 – 2017
2018 – present		96915120
3 Oļegs Laizāns2016 – 202196138117
4 Roberts Ozols2015 – present881215115
5 Antons Kurakins2017 – present86152103

Bold signifies a current Riga FC player

Notes
  1. Lost 5−3 on Penalty shootout.
  2. Lost 5−4 on Penalty shootout.

References
  1. LURSOFT (2019-04-01). "Riga Football Club , 40008223802 - company data". Lursoft. Archived from the original on 2021-08-18. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  2. 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!"]. Sportacentrs.com (in Latvian). Retrieved 2024-01-26.
  3. ""Caramba/Dinamo" pārmaiņas: jauns treneris, cits nosaukums un stadions". sportacentrs.com (in Latvian). 22 December 2015. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  4. "Genādija Šitika trešais cikls". Sporto (in Latvian). Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  5. "Par mums – Riga Football Club Academy". Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  6. "Komanda" [A Team] (in Latvian). Riga FC. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  7. "Coaches and staff - Riga Football Club". www.rigafc.lv. Archived from the original on 2021-07-18. Retrieved 2021-07-18.
  8. "Coaches and staff – Riga FC". Riga FC. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  9. "Management and administration – Riga FC". Riga FC. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  10. "Pēdējo gadu Latvijas spēcīgākās futbola komandas īpašnieks iekļauts valstij nevēlamo personu sarakstā". Jauns.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 2024-02-20.
  11. курс, The Baltic Course-Балтийский. "Latvian football club Riga owner Lomakin included on persona non grata list". The Baltic Course | Baltic States news & analytics. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
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