2011 Latvian Higher League

Teams

Jaunība Rīga finished the previous year's competition in tenth place and were relegated to the Latvian First League. This ended a one-year stay in the top flight. Promoted to the Higher League from the First Division automatically were the previous season's First Division champions, Gulbene 2005, who are taking part in the top flight for the first time in their history in 2011.

FC Tranzit finished 9th in the 2010 Higher League competition and were supposed to compete in a promotion/relegation playoff against the runners-up of the First Division, FC Jūrmala. However, before this playoff took place, Tranzit informed the Latvian Football Federation that they were forfeiting their place in the Higher League altogether, ending a two-year stay in the top flight. Therefore, FC Jūrmala were promoted to the Higher League automatically. Like Gulbene, they are competing in the top flight for the first time in their history in 2011.

Finally, SK Blāzma decided to withdraw from the league during the off-season. This ended a three-year stay in the top flight. At a meeting on 28 January 2011, the LFF decided that they would not be replaced in this year's competition.

Team summaries

League table

Results

First half of season

Second half of season

Relegation play-offs

At the season's end, the 9th place club in the Latvian Higher League will face the runners-up of the Latvian First League in a two-legged playoff, with the winner being awarded a spot in the 2012 Higher League competition.

Panasjuks

Skalenko

Top goalscorers

*Source: LMT Virslīga 2011 *

Awards

Team of the Tournament

sportacentrs.com version:

Latvian Football Federation version:

Individual nominations

Players selected by sportacentrs.com:

Best foreign player: Nigeria Daniel Ola (Jūrmala)

Best young player (U-21): Latvia Armenia Arevshat Khachatryan (Gulbene)

Best coach: Georgia Tamaz Pertia (Daugava Daugavpils/ Olimps/RFS)

Surprise of the season: Latvia Oļegs Laizāns (Ventspils)

Player of the season: Latvia Jurģis Kalns (Liepājas Metalurgs)

Players selected by LFF:

Best goalkeeper: Latvia Germans Māliņš (Skonto Riga)

Best defender: Latvia Pāvels Mihadjuks (Liepājas Metalurgs)

Best midfielder: Latvia Oļegs Laizāns (Ventspils)

Best forward: Brazil Nathan Júnior (Skonto Riga)

Best coach: Ukraine Sergei Podpaly (Ventspils)

Top scorer: Brazil Nathan Júnior (Skonto Riga) (22 goals)

Best young player (U-21): Latvia Valērijs Šabala (Skonto Riga)

Player of the season: Latvia Oļegs Laizāns (Ventspils)

Team awards

Players selected by LFF:

Best match organization:Jelgava

Fair-play award:Gulbene

References

References

1. "Virsliga - 2011". WhoScored.com.
2. "Summary - Virsliga 2011 - Latvia". Soccerway.
3. "Virslīgas čempionāta klubu un LFF sanāksmes lēmumi". [[Latvian Football Federation]].
4. "Par LFF Arbitrāžas komisijas lēmumu". LFF.
5. "Virslīga 2011: FK Jūrmala V.V. - FC Daugava (spēle atcelta)". LFF.
6. "Welcome to nginx".
7. "Latvijas Futbola federācija".
8. "Lapa īslaicīgi nav pieejama".