The football season is coming to an end. Will all teams retain their place in the Super League? / Article / LSM.lv

The Latvian Football Super League season is fast coming to an end, the 1st League season has been suspended indefinitely due to the epidemiological situation, and it is not clear how the Super League could start in the 2021 season. Namely, according to the rules, the winner of the penultimate or 9th place in the Super League should play with the second team of the 1st league, but most likely this may not happen this year either.

IN SHORT:

• Due to the pandemic, footballers cannot be sure that the season will end in either the Premier League or the 1st League
• Teams in the 1st league played no more than 13 games before the season was stopped
• The rules of procedure should be changed to waive the transfer of teams between leagues
• Changing the rules at the end of the season will inevitably lead to objections from the last league or 1st league leaders
• Playing in the Super League requires a much bigger budget, not all teams could be out of pocket

If the Super League manages to complete all three laps, then each team will have played 27 games, plus at least two in the Latvian Cup. With the 1st league, the situation is different – due to the pandemic, some teams have played only 12 games, but some – 13. In addition, since mid-October, there have been no games in the 1st league, so the teams have no practice. In addition, due to the epidemiological situation, it is not clear when and whether the season will resume.

The regulations of the Premier League stipulate that the winner of the last or 10th place in the league will play in the 1st league next season, “giving back” his place to the winner of the 1st league. But the 9th place winner will play with the 1st league second place winner. Namely, according to the regulations, this could mean that the team Daugavpils “Lokomotiv” moves to the super league, but FK “Auda” would play the playoffs. There are still games left in the Premier League, but the most real candidates for relegation would be “Tukums2000 / TSS” or FK “Metta”. Of course, for the time being only in theory, because both teams still have to play three games.

The decision on how and when replays or changes in the rules of procedure could take place will have to be made by the Latvian Football Federation (LFF),

In a conversation with LSM.lv, Ainārs Dakša, Executive Director of the Latvian Football Super League, emphasized. Meanwhile, Toms Ārmanis, Head of the Communication Department of LFF, indicated to LSM.lv that a decision on this issue could be made on November 13.

In his conversation with LSM.lv, Ģirts Mihelsons, Secretary General of FC “Metta”, indicated that it will be difficult to make a decision this season. First of all, because 27 games will be played in the Super League, but only 12 games in the 1st League. Secondly, the country’s rules currently prevent 1st League teams from playing, which are mostly amateurs rather than professionals. Thirdly, it is unclear whether League 1 will be allowed to play at all this season. Fourth, the super-league licensing process must start as early as 2020.

The reasons could be called and will be called, but it is clear that a lot of responsibility will have to be taken by someone who will make it clear that the rules must be changed and next season the same teams will play in the Super League as this year. The reaction will be controversial, leading to a wide-ranging debate. Namely,

any decision on this issue will cause negations for either the Premier League clubs or the 1st League clubs, as there will then be a loss of sporting interest in both championships.

Ainars Tamisārs, the director of the FC “Jelgava” master team, who has also worked in the super league for many years, did not deny that it will be very difficult for those responsible to make a decision. But, given the situation with the pandemic, it would be most logical to leave the same teams in the league that started this year – in short, to move to higher leagues for the coming years.

Undoubtedly, moving to a higher league would also mean significant additional spending for 1st league teams. It is estimated that in order to fully fight for high places in the Premier League, a budget of at least two million euros is needed to have half a million in the middle, but to live at the bottom of the table – in this case, an annual budget of 300 thousand euros would be enough. Meanwhile, the budget of the 1st league team can be much smaller. Therefore

the question remains as to whether all existing teams will be able to find sufficient funding to remain in the top league next year,

and whether, in theory, the two best clubs in the 1st league would be ready to find the necessary funding to play in the Super League.

This season ten teams will start in the Super League – “Riga” FC, RFS, “Valmiera” FC, FC “Ventspils”, Jurmala “Spartaks”, FC “Liepaja”, BFC “Daugavpils”, FC “Jelgava”, FC “Metta” and “Tukums 2000 / TSS ”. In turn, nine teams start in the 1st league. The leader of the league after 12 games with 31 points is FK “Lokomotiv Daugavpils”, but the second place is taken by FK “Auda”, which has accumulated 28 points in 13 games.

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