2023 Latvian First League
| Season | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Grobiņas |
| Promoted | Grobiņas |
| Relegated | Beitar Dinamo Rīga |
← 2022 2024 → | |
The 2023 Latvian First League (referred to as the Optibet Nākotnes Līga for sponsorship reasons) was the 32nd season of second-tier football in Latvia. The season started on 7 April 2023 and finished on 12 November 2023.[1][2]
The winners (Grobiņas) were promoted to the 2024 Latvian Higher League. The third-placed team (Skanste) qualified for the Latvian Higher League play-off. The twelfth-placed team (Smiltene) qualified for the Latvian First League play-off. Two teams (Beitar and Dinamo Rīga) withdrew from the league and were relegated to the 2024 Latvian Second League.
Teams
Team changes
| Promoted from 2022 Latvian Second League |
Promoted to 2023 Latvian Higher League |
Relegated to 2023 Latvian Second League |
|---|---|---|
| Beitar Ventspils |
Jelgava
|
Salaspils |
Stadia and locations
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFA Olaine | Olaines pilsētas stadions | Olaine | |
| Beitar | Salaspils sporta nama stadions | Salaspils | 648 |
| Dinamo Rīga | Riga | RTU stadions | 1,000 |
| Grobiņas | Grobiņa | Grobiņa Stadium | 1,000 |
| JDFS Alberts | Riga | Daugavgrīvas vidusskolas stadions | 1,000 |
| Rēzeknes FA/BJSS | Rēzekne | Sporta Aģentūras Stadions | 978 |
| RFS 2 | Riga | LNK Sporta Parks | 740 |
| Riga II | Riga | Skonto Stadium | 8,087 |
| Saldus SS/Leevon | Saldus | Saldus pilsētas stadions | 2,000 |
| Skanste | Riga | Hanzas vidusskolas laukums | 2,000 |
| Smiltene | Smiltene | Tepera stadions | 1,000 |
| Tukums II | Tukums | Tukuma Pilsētas Stadions
|
|
| Valmiera 2/VSS | Valmiera | Jānis Daliņš Stadium | 2,000 |
| Ventspils | Ventspils | Ventspils Olimpiskais Stadions | 3,200 |
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grobiņas (C, P) | 26 | 21 | 3 | 2 | 71 | 17 | +54 | 66 | Promotion to the Latvian Higher League |
| 2 | Riga II[a] | 26 | 20 | 4 | 2 | 85 | 15 | +70 | 64 | |
| 3 | Skanste | 26 | 19 | 2 | 5 | 58 | 21 | +37 | 59 | Qualification for the Latvian Higher League play-off |
| 4 | JDFS Alberts | 26 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 60 | 36 | +24 | 47 | |
| 5 | Saldus SS/Leevon | 26 | 12 | 4 | 10 | 40 | 28 | +12 | 40 | |
| 6 | RFS 2 | 26 | 11 | 4 | 11 | 58 | 42 | +16 | 37 | |
| 7 | Beitar[b] (R) | 26 | 11 | 2 | 13 | 41 | 66 | −25 | 35 | Relegation to the Latvian Second League |
| 8 | Tukums II | 26 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 41 | 54 | −13 | 33 | |
| 9 | Ventspils | 26 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 24 | 29 | −5 | 30 | |
| 10 | Valmiera 2/VSS | 26 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 30 | 40 | −10 | 28 | |
| 11 | AFA Olaine | 26 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 36 | 61 | −25 | 23 | |
| 12 | Smiltene (O) | 26 | 6 | 4 | 16 | 31 | 67 | −36 | 22 | Qualification for the Latvian First League play-off |
| 13 | Dinamo Rīga[c] (R) | 26 | 5 | 3 | 18 | 27 | 66 | −39 | 18 | Relegation to the Latvian Second League |
| 14 | Rēzeknes FA/BJSS[d] | 26 | 3 | 4 | 19 | 18 | 78 | −60 | 13 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Goal difference; 5) Goals scored; 6) Fair-play ranking; 7) Play-off. (Note: Head-to-head record is used only after all the matches between the teams in question have been played)
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Latvian First League play-off
The twelfth-placed club (Smiltene) faced the third-placed club from the 2023 Latvian Second League (Augšdaugavas) for the final place in the following season's Latvian First League.
First leg
| 19 November 2023 | Augšdaugavas | 3–1 | Smiltene | Ilūkste |
| 12:00 BST | Stadium: Ilūkstes pilsētas stadions |
Second leg
| 25 November 2023 | Smiltene | 3–0 (4–3 agg.) | Augšdaugavas | Smiltene |
| 12:00 BST | Stadium: Tepera stadions |