FK Daugava Riga
Encyclopedia
Previously FK Daugava 90 is a Latvia
n football club
located in Riga
and currently playing in Latvian First League
. Formerly under the name Daugava the team was the headliner of Latvian football where played most of the countries top players but with the collapse of the Soviet Union
the team ceased to exist. Newest history of "Daugava" began when well known Latvian football coach Vladimir Belaev and former Daugava player, at present football agent, Andrei Baharev decide to re-develop popular football club in city of Riga. They choose to develop FC Daugava own players through establishing youth program. Since 2003 "kids of Daugava" won all stages of Latvian leagues and got promoted into Latvian Top League in 2008. Also, over 200 kids are in "Daugava Riga" youth program. Still it can be debated whether FK Daugava Riga or Daugava Daugavpils could be considered successor to Daugava and Pārdaugava of 1940s-1990s. The brand and logo and name - FK Daugava Riga
is property of Andrei Baharev but with court decision - this brand and logo can use Andrei Baharev but the name can use anyone.
. For the 1949 season thanks to a changes in the tournament system Daugava was promoted to the Soviet Top League
where it managed to remain for 4 seasons until being relegated in 1952.
The following years brought more and more disappointments for Daugava with the team failing to leave an impression among Class B squads. However in 1960 the team once again had the opportunity to play against the top Soviet teams - thanks to another decision from above. The first season there was by far the best - the 12th position among 22 teams, including 2 wins against the eventual league winners - Torpedo Moscow. This season was
one of the best for Georgijs Smirnovs
, it also was one of the best for the Lithuanian goalkeeper Vladas Tučkus
who had won the Soviet Championship in 1956 with Spartak Moscow
but had trouble recapturing his previous form afterwards.
However the next 2 seasons in Class A were less successful and in 1962 Daugava was relegated back to Class B (although it was officially renamed to Class A Second Group, essentially it was the second league). In 1967 Daugava was very close to promotion to Class A - it finished second after Dynamo Kirovabad and a win with a four goal difference in the last match would have put Daugava first, however a missed penalty from Gunārs Ulmanis
and a rather bleak second half of the last match didn't let that happen.
The failure to get a promotion to the top division brought changes to the Daugava team with the results getting worse from year to year and in 1971 Daugava was relegated to the Second League (third division of Soviet football) where it joined another Latvian team - Zvejnieks Liepāja. Climbing back the first league proved to be a tough task - despite being close to the top every season only in 1975 Daugava managed to get a promotion. That season saw the emergence of Sergey Shavlo
who later became a key player for Spartak Moscow. However after just a year Daugava was back in the second division and remained there until 1981 when under the management of Jānis Skredelis it proved itself significantly stronger than the rest of the second division squads.
The first years back in the first division brought mixed results until in 1985 Daugava won the 1st division and was as close to returning to the top league as ever. But it wasn't enough - as the top division was shortened after the 1985 season Daugava had to participate in a playoff tournament where it finished last despite a draw and a win against CSKA Moscow. The next season Daugava was again close to promotion but lost several points because of the "draws limit" (no points were awarded for drawn games for teams which had reached the draws limit). Financial difficulties had Daugava relegated to the second division in 1989, in 1991 the team was back in the first division under the name of "Pārdaugava" and finished last there. Since it was also the end for the Soviet Union, Pārdaugava joined the Latvian Virslīga
. In 1995 with the bankruptcy of its sponsors Pārdaugava ceased to exist.
Another team under the name of Daugava Rīga appeared in 1996 but it can't be really considered a successor to the "original" Daugava team as it came to existence in the form of a name change to former Torpedo Rīga
, but it also went bankrupt in 2000. Later the name of Daugava emerged again in its current status as a youth squad as it doesn't have the original Daugava logo and isn't an official successor to Pārdaugava either. In 2007 FC Ditton from Daugavpils
changed its name to FK Daugava Daugavpils
and took up the old Daugava logo, still it could be debated which of the new Daugava's should be considered the successor to the old one.
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n football club
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
located in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
and currently playing in Latvian First League
Latvian First League
The Latvian First League is the second tier of football in Latvia and is organised by the Latvian Football Federation. From the 2007 season, the tournament has been known as the Traffic 1. līga, due to its sponsorship by the "Traffic auto advert" advertising company.-Format:There are 14 clubs in...
. Formerly under the name Daugava the team was the headliner of Latvian football where played most of the countries top players but with the collapse of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
the team ceased to exist. Newest history of "Daugava" began when well known Latvian football coach Vladimir Belaev and former Daugava player, at present football agent, Andrei Baharev decide to re-develop popular football club in city of Riga. They choose to develop FC Daugava own players through establishing youth program. Since 2003 "kids of Daugava" won all stages of Latvian leagues and got promoted into Latvian Top League in 2008. Also, over 200 kids are in "Daugava Riga" youth program. Still it can be debated whether FK Daugava Riga or Daugava Daugavpils could be considered successor to Daugava and Pārdaugava of 1940s-1990s. The brand and logo and name - FK Daugava Riga
FK Daugava Riga
Previously FK Daugava 90 is a Latvian football club located in Riga and currently playing in Latvian First League. Formerly under the name Daugava the team was the headliner of Latvian football where played most of the countries top players but with the collapse of the Soviet Union the team ceased...
is property of Andrei Baharev but with court decision - this brand and logo can use Andrei Baharev but the name can use anyone.
History
Daugava was founded in 1944. It had its debut in the Latvian championship in 1946 by finishing 5th among 8 teams. In 1948 Daugava joined FC Dinamo Rīga as the second team from Latvia to play in the Soviet First LeagueSoviet First League
The Soviet First League was the second highest division of Soviet football, below the Soviet Top League. The division lasted from the inception of Soviet league football in 1936 to the dissolution of the USSR in 1991.-Overview:...
. For the 1949 season thanks to a changes in the tournament system Daugava was promoted to the Soviet Top League
Soviet Top League
The Soviet Top League since 1970 was officially known as the Supreme League serving as the top division of Soviet Union football since 1936.It was one of the best football leagues in Europe ranking second among the UEFA members in 1988-1989 seasons...
where it managed to remain for 4 seasons until being relegated in 1952.
The following years brought more and more disappointments for Daugava with the team failing to leave an impression among Class B squads. However in 1960 the team once again had the opportunity to play against the top Soviet teams - thanks to another decision from above. The first season there was by far the best - the 12th position among 22 teams, including 2 wins against the eventual league winners - Torpedo Moscow. This season was
one of the best for Georgijs Smirnovs
Georgijs Smirnovs
Georgijs Smirnovs is a former Latvian footballer and football manager. In 2006 Latvian Football Federation selected Smirnovs as one of the 11 greatest footballers in the first 100 years of football in Latvia.-Biography:...
, it also was one of the best for the Lithuanian goalkeeper Vladas Tučkus
Vladas Tuckus
Vladas Tučkus was a Soviet Lithuanian football goalkeeper who played for Spartak Vilnius, Spartak Moscow and FK Daugava Rīga.-Playing biography:...
who had won the Soviet Championship in 1956 with Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times...
but had trouble recapturing his previous form afterwards.
However the next 2 seasons in Class A were less successful and in 1962 Daugava was relegated back to Class B (although it was officially renamed to Class A Second Group, essentially it was the second league). In 1967 Daugava was very close to promotion to Class A - it finished second after Dynamo Kirovabad and a win with a four goal difference in the last match would have put Daugava first, however a missed penalty from Gunārs Ulmanis
Gunars Ulmanis
Gunārs Ulmanis was a Latvian football right wing midfielder, one of the most famous Latvian footballers of 1960s.-Biography:...
and a rather bleak second half of the last match didn't let that happen.
The failure to get a promotion to the top division brought changes to the Daugava team with the results getting worse from year to year and in 1971 Daugava was relegated to the Second League (third division of Soviet football) where it joined another Latvian team - Zvejnieks Liepāja. Climbing back the first league proved to be a tough task - despite being close to the top every season only in 1975 Daugava managed to get a promotion. That season saw the emergence of Sergey Shavlo
Sergey Shavlo
Sergey Dmitriyevich Shavlo is a former Soviet and Ukrainian/Russian footballer.-Playing biography:...
who later became a key player for Spartak Moscow. However after just a year Daugava was back in the second division and remained there until 1981 when under the management of Jānis Skredelis it proved itself significantly stronger than the rest of the second division squads.
The first years back in the first division brought mixed results until in 1985 Daugava won the 1st division and was as close to returning to the top league as ever. But it wasn't enough - as the top division was shortened after the 1985 season Daugava had to participate in a playoff tournament where it finished last despite a draw and a win against CSKA Moscow. The next season Daugava was again close to promotion but lost several points because of the "draws limit" (no points were awarded for drawn games for teams which had reached the draws limit). Financial difficulties had Daugava relegated to the second division in 1989, in 1991 the team was back in the first division under the name of "Pārdaugava" and finished last there. Since it was also the end for the Soviet Union, Pārdaugava joined the Latvian Virslīga
Virsliga
-Past Virslīga winners:-Top scorers:-Riga football league winners:* 1910 Union Riga* 1911 British FC Riga* 1912 Union Riga* 1913 British FC Riga* 1914 British FC Riga* 1915 British FC Riga-Champions of Latvia before Virslīga:* 1922 Ķeizarmežs...
. In 1995 with the bankruptcy of its sponsors Pārdaugava ceased to exist.
Another team under the name of Daugava Rīga appeared in 1996 but it can't be really considered a successor to the "original" Daugava team as it came to existence in the form of a name change to former Torpedo Rīga
Torpedo Riga
Torpedo Rīga was a football club that played in Riga. The club played in the Latvian league with good success from 1979 to 2000 when it merged with Policijas FK.-As Torpedo Rīga:...
, but it also went bankrupt in 2000. Later the name of Daugava emerged again in its current status as a youth squad as it doesn't have the original Daugava logo and isn't an official successor to Pārdaugava either. In 2007 FC Ditton from Daugavpils
Daugavpils
Daugavpils is a city in southeastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city gets its name. Daugavpils literally means "Daugava Castle". With a population of over 100,000, it is the second largest city in the country after the capital Riga, which is located some...
changed its name to FK Daugava Daugavpils
FK Daugava Daugavpils
FC Daugava is a Latvian football club from the city of Daugavpils. In 2007 they renamed from FC Ditton to FC Daugava....
and took up the old Daugava logo, still it could be debated which of the new Daugava's should be considered the successor to the old one.
First-team squad
correct as of 30.05.2009Notable players
- Alfons JēgersAlfons JegersAlfons Jēgers was a Latvian football and hockey player. He is recognized as one of the greatest in the history of both of these sports in Latvia.-Biography:...
- Vilnis StraumeVilnis StraumeVilnis Straume is a former Latvian football player.-Biography:In 1956 Straume joined Daugava Rīga - the club for which he played until the end of his footballer career. However in 1957 he had to serve in the Soviet Army and also played with FK Dinamo Rīga with which he together with future Daugava...
- Georgijs SmirnovsGeorgijs SmirnovsGeorgijs Smirnovs is a former Latvian footballer and football manager. In 2006 Latvian Football Federation selected Smirnovs as one of the 11 greatest footballers in the first 100 years of football in Latvia.-Biography:...
- Gunārs UlmanisGunars UlmanisGunārs Ulmanis was a Latvian football right wing midfielder, one of the most famous Latvian footballers of 1960s.-Biography:...
- Reinis ZālītisReinis ZalitisReinis Zālītis was a Latvian football defender, famous for playing for Daugava Rīga.Zālītis first began to play football in the sports school of Daugava Riga in the early 1950s. His first coach was the renowned in Latvia Maksis Leviatānuss. 1961 he played with the Latvia youth team, in 1962 - with...
- Jānis GilisJanis GilisJānis Gilis , was the first general manager of Latvia national football team after Latvia regained independence.-Playing career:...
- Roberts SkadatsRoberts SkadatsRoberts Skadats is a former Latvian football midfielder and forward who played with FK Daugava Rīga for most of his career.-Playing biography:...
- Sergey ShavloSergey ShavloSergey Dmitriyevich Shavlo is a former Soviet and Ukrainian/Russian footballer.-Playing biography:...
- Aleksandrs StarkovsAleksandrs StarkovsAleksandrs Starkovs is a Latvian football coach and a former footballer. Starkovs is currently in his second spell as manager of the Latvian national team and is also the manager of FK Baku, having previously managed clubs such as Spartak Moscow in Russia and Skonto FC in Latvia.-Playing...
- Jevgeņijs MiļevskisJevgenijs MilevskisJevgeņijs Miļevskis is a former Latvia football striker of Jewish origin, together with Aleksandrs Starkovs he was the main goal scoring force of FK Daugava Rīga....
- Jurijs ŠevļakovsJurijs ŠevlakovsJurijs Ševļakovs is a former Latvian football defender of Russia origin, now - a football manager.-Club playing career:...
- Jurijs PopkovsJurijs PopkovsJurijs Popkovs is a Latvian football manager and a former footballer.-Playing career:Jurijs Popkovs was born in Kiev, Ukraine. His first professional club was Dynamo Minsk which he joined in 1980. In four years which he stayed with Dynamo he made only one appearance in the Soviet Top League...
- Aivars DrupassAivars Drupass-Playing career:At the age of 18 the talented forward who was previously coached by the legendary Latvian footballer Gunārs Ulmanis joined FK Daugava Rīga. In his first season for Daugava he played in just one game. Since he had to join the army, for several years Drupass played in army clubs – SKA...