2010 Latvian Higher League

Teams

Due to a match fixing scandal last season, Dinaburg FC were excluded from the Latvian Higher League and were relegated to the Latvian First League.

Promoted to the Higher League from the First Division automatically were last season's First Division champions, Jelgava.

Daugava Rīga finished in 8th place in last year's Higher League competition and competed in a promotion/relegation playoff against the runners-up of the First Division, Jaunība Rīga. Jaunība Rīga won this two-legged playoff 1–1 (1–0 on away goals scored) and won promotion to the Higher League for this season and Daugava Rīga was relegated to the First Division.

Despite finishing last year's First Division competition in 9th place, Daugava Daugavpils were offered a place in this year's Higher League competition, which the club accepted.

Team summaries

League table

Results

Regular home/away matches

Extra home matches

Relegation play-offs

At season's end, the 9th place club in the Latvian Higher League, Tranzīts Ventspils, was supposed to face the runners-up of the Latvian First League, FC Jūrmala, in a two-legged playoff, with the winner being awarded a spot on next year's Higher League competition. However, before this playoff began, the LFF received information from Tranzits that it would not participate in the playoff and, further, was forfeiting its place in the Latvian Higher League. Because of this, FC Jurmala achieved promotion to the Higher League automatically.

Top goalscorers

*Source: LMT Virslīga 2010 *

;18 goals

• Latvia Deniss Rakels (Liepājas Metalurgs)
• Brazil Nathan Júnior (Skonto)

;15 goals

• Latvia Jurijs Žigajevs (Ventspils)

;12 goals

• Latvia Kristaps Grebis (Liepājas Metalurgs)

;11 goals

• Latvia Oļegs Malašenoks (Jelgava)

;9 goals

• Latvia Eduards Višņakovs (Ventspils)
• Lithuania Vitalijus Kavaliauskas (Liepājas Metalurgs)

;8 goals

• Latvia Artūrs Karašausks (Skonto)
• Latvia Andrejs Perepļotkins (Skonto)
• Turkmenistan Ruslan Mingazov (Skonto)
• Latvia Daniils Turkovs (Skonto)
• Belarus Pavel Ryzhevski (Blāzma)

** Players in italics left the clubs they are listed in during the season.*

Awards

Monthly awards

Golden boot

• Deniss Rakels (Liepājas Metalurgs) with 18 goals. Nathan Júnior from Skonto also scored 18 goals during the season, but while Rakels had scored all his goals from game-play, Junior netted 3 goals from the penalty spot.

Team of the tournament

(Selected by www.sportacentrs.com)

Goalkeepers: Marks Bogdanovs (Jelgava), Kaspars Ikstens (Skonto Riga)

Defenders: Jevgēņijs Simonovs (Daugava Daugavpils), Kaspars Dubra (Skonto Riga), Tomas Tamošauskas (Liepājas Metalurgs), Vitālijs Maksimenko (Skonto Riga), Māris Smirnovs (Tranzit Ventspils), Yuriy Shelenkov (Daugava Daugavpils)

Midfielders: Ruslan Mingazov (Skonto Riga), Jurijs Žigajevs (Ventspils), Arturs Zjuzins (Ventspils), Valērijs Afanasjevs (Daugava Daugavpils), Michael Tukura (Ventspils), Takafumi Akahoshi (Liepājas Metalurgs)

Forwards: Nathan Júnior (Skonto Riga), Deniss Rakels (Liepājas Metalurgs), Daniils Turkovs (Skonto Riga), Oļegs Malašenoks (Jelgava)

Best player awards

• Goalkeeper: Kaspars Ikstens (Skonto Riga)
• Defender: Vitālijs Smirnovs (Skonto Riga)
• Midfielder: Jurijs Žigajevs (Ventspils)
• Forward: Nathan Júnior (Skonto Riga)
• Manager of the season: Aleksandrs Starkovs (Skonto Riga)
• The best youth player (under the age of 21): Artūrs Zjuzins (Ventspils)
• Player of the season: Jurijs Žigajevs (Ventspils)

Organization

• Fair-play award: Skonto Riga
• The best matches' organization: Skonto Riga
• The best referee: Andrejs Sipailo and Harijs Gudermanis (assistant)

References

References

1. [http://www.lff.lv/lv/virsliga/fixtures/2010/] {{in lang. lv
2. ru
3. (March 2025)
4. (2 May 2010). "Artūrs Karašausks – LMT Virslīgas labākais spēlētājs aprīlī". LFF.
5. (7 June 2010). ""LMT Virslīgas" labākais spēlētājs maijā – Malašenoks". sportacentrs.com.
6. "Natans Žuniors – LMT Virslīgas labākais spēlētājs jūnijā". LFF.
7. "Kaspars Dubra atzīts par labāko spēlētāju jūlijā". LFF.