Explore every episode of the podcast Baltic Football Podcast

In this episode, we sit down with Moshe Ziat, Israeli football commentator and lifelong Beitar Jerusalem fan, to discuss the historic, cultural, and tactical dimensions of Beitar ahead of their UEFA Conference League qualifier against Riga FC.

🔔 Subscribe for more exclusive interviews and Baltic football coverage.

(00:01:25) – Beitar 101: Who Are They?

(00:04:45) – European Drama & Bucharest Blunders

(00:07:55) – Zionism Meets Football

(00:17:10) – Passionate Fans & Misunderstood Identity

(00:23:00) – Controversies & UEFA Concerns

(00:27:30) – Tactics & Team Shape

(00:29:00) – Player Spotlight & Predictions

For latest info about football in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, visit www.balticfootballnews.com and follow us on social media!

#conferenceleague #betar #beitar #rigafc #uecl #balticfootball #football #soccer #riga #israel

Swedish football journalist Josip Ladan joins us to preview Malmö FF’s highly anticipated Champions League qualifier against RFS. From tactical insights and key players to Malmö’s European mindset, this is the ultimate pre-match breakdown ahead of this tie.

(01:22) – Malmö FF's origin story & fan culture

(03:24) – Malmö’s golden years & European legacy

(04:58) – 2025 season challenges: form, injuries, and tactics

(08:40) – Rydström’s coaching philosophy and tactical stubbornness

(12:45) – How Malmö adapts to low-block teams like RFS (in Europe)

(14:20) – Central midfield engine: Lasse Berg-Jonsson & Otto Rosengren

(17:08) – Youth vs experience in Malmö’s squad

(18:35) – Spotlight on Taha Ali: the futsal-turned-football star

(21:24) – Weaknesses to exploit: striker shortage & wing fatigue

(23:30) – Malmö’s threat on set pieces

(24:45) – Prediction & reflection on Malmö’s Baltic trauma

Will RFS pull off another Baltic upset? Can Malmö overcome their striker woes? Josip breaks it all down with honesty and humour.

Traveling to Latvia for the match? Check our fan guide: www.balticfootballnews.com

Subscribe for more Baltic football interviews, match previews, and exclusive insights!

#RFS #malmoff #ChampionsLeague #BalticFootball #UCL #Football #SwedishFootball #LatvianFootball #riga #sweden #latvia #malmö #soccer #europeanfootball

It’s been a wild start to European competition for clubs from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia! In this episode, we break down the highs and lows of Champions League and Conference League Qualification Round 1 — including the dramatic RFS vs Levadia Baltic Derby, shocking eliminations, tactical surprises, and a look ahead to Round 2.We also explore what this means for UEFA coefficients, club development, and the growing identity of Baltic football in Europe.👇 Full breakdown below!⏱️ Chapters / Timestamps:(01:03) – Champions League Overview(01:30) – RFS vs Levadia: Baltic Derby Breakdown(05:40) – Žalgiris Vilnius Collapse & 14-Penalty Shootout(08:30) – What’s Next for RFS & Levadia in QR2(10:00) – Latvia’s Early Exits: Auda & Daugavpils Disappointments(13:45) – Hegelmann Crash Out to St. Patrick’s(15:20) – Kauno Žalgiris Cruise Past Penybont(16:55) – Banga Draw Rosenborg: Mission Impossible?(18:30) – Paide Smash Magpies, Set Up AIK Stockholm Battle(19:45) – Kalju’s Surprise Win Over Partizani(21:00) – QR2 Preview: What’s at Stake for Baltic ClubsFor away fans travelling to Baltic matches, check out our free fan guide: https://balticfootballnews.comFull match stats, previews, and more on the website!

Join us as we sit down with Grégory Vignal — former Liverpool, Lens and Rangers defender and current FC RFS assistant coach.In this exclusive interview, Gregory shares his insights into Latvian and Baltic football, the technical strengths and physical gaps he’s observed, and how he’s applying lessons from elite clubs like Liverpool to develop players at RFS.-Gregory’s first impressions of football in Latvia and the Baltics-How Baltic players compare technically and physically to those in Scotland and England -The importance of speed, technique, and a “no excuses” mentality in modern football -Life in Riga and his experience working with RFS -RFS’s ambitions in the domestic league and European competitionsWhether you’re a Baltic football fan, an RFS supporter, or just love hearing from pros who’ve played at the highest level, this conversation is a must-watch!👉 Subscribe for more Baltic football interviews and insights.👍 Like the video if you enjoy it, and drop your questions for Gregory in the comments below!#GregoryVignal #RFS #BalticFootball #LatvianFootball #Liverpool #RangersFC #soccer #championsleague #riga

This week, Baltic football takes center stage in Europe! Lithuanian, Latvian, and Estonian clubs are gearing up for crucial clashes in both the UEFA Champions League and the Conference League qualifiers.What to look out for:-The Baltic derby between Levadia and RFS in the Champions League-Žalgiris Vilnius battling Hamrun Spartans from Malta-Kauno Žalgiris heavy favorites against Penybont of Wales-Nõmme Kalju, Daugavpils, Hegelmann, Auda, and Flora Tallinn chasing Conference League success-Key odds and predictions for every match-What’s at stake for Baltic nations in UEFA rankingsCan the Baltic underdogs spring surprises on the European stage? Who will carry the region’s hopes forward?Don’t miss this full preview of all the action, with insights into the teams, form, and what’s riding on each match! Go to BalticFootballNews.com for in-depth analysis and latest football news from the Baltics!Like, comment, and subscribe for more Baltic football updates and European football previews!#BalticFootball #ChampionsLeague #ConferenceLeague #Lithuania #Latvia #Estonia #UEFA #FootballNews #soccer #virsliga #alyga #premiumliiga

In this episode, we catch up on the Baltics leagues to see What's Hot and What's Not in Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian football before delving into the hype and opportunities of Artificial Intelligence in football - from how it's been used elsewhere to what are the potential use cases in the context of the Baltics.(00:02:00) Riga FC are Hot(00:04:22) Riga FC Women are HOT!!(00:08:00) FS Jelgava are Hot(00:09:52) FK Suduva are Hot(00:14:00) Kauno Zalgiris are Hot (and Vilnius Zalgiris are Not hot)(00:15:40) Flora are Hot(00:17:37) Standout moments thus far(00:19:07) Looking ahead to Europe(00:23:05) Dainava are ICE Cold(00:26:05) Riteriai are Not hot (again)(00:28:27) Metta's attitude is Not hot(00:32:26) Artificial Intelligence in football(00:55:01) Frank's and Dmitrijs's suggestions for trying AI#football #ai #artificialintelligence #soccer #latvia #lithuania #estonia #virsliga #alyga #premiumliiga

Recent weeks kicked up some alarming news about the President of the Estonian FA allegedly blacklisting referees he doesn't like and the owners of FK Riteriai allegedly embezzling funds intended for running of the club. As we unpack all of this and catch up on the football side of things across the A Lyga, Virslīga and the Premium liiga, these developments also promted us to take a closer look at the quality of governance in football in the Baltics. Hence, the 'Dodgy Governance Index' was born, ranking the governance structures of all 30 clubs from 'most dodgy' to 'not dodgy'. Where does your club fall on this spectrum?

(00:01:05) Premium liiga update

(00:06:06) Virslīga update

(00:13:17) A Lyga update

(00:23:55) Does Frank know what "Žalgiris" means?

(00:24:55) Referee blacklisting in Estonia

(00:34:28) Embezzlement scandal at Riteriai

(00:41:20) The Dodgy Governance Index

For latest and most up to date news from the world of Baltic football in English, follow balticfootballnews.com

#latvia #lithuania #estonia #football #soccer #governance #finance #alyga #virsliga #premiumliiga #news #footballnews

Baltic football is now underway, so we catch-up on what’s been happening before the first international break of 2025 – whether it’s the surprising results in Estonia, edge-of-your seat friction in Latvia, and absolute mayhem in Lithuania, the start of the season in the region is exceeding all expectations.

For the second part of the episode, Frank sits down with the President of the Latvian Football Federation, Vadims Ļašenko, to find out about the plans and activities around developing professional men’s and women’s football in Latvia.

(00:01:23) Premium liiga update

(00:04:28) Virsliga update

(00:05:43) A Lyga update

(00:11:00) What is the impact of the increased foreign player registration fee?

(00:20:56) The new LFF/Virsliga working group

(00:24:07) Why is Latvia losing so many Champion clubs?

(00:33:14) What is LFF doing to raise the level of lower divisions?

(00:35:05) Why is Latvia the only European country without a Cat IV stadium?

(00:42:45) Goals for the National Teams in this cycle

(00:54:56) Latvians in Scotland

(00:56:16) Working with the Latvian diaspora

(01:01:13) Futsal EURO 2026 in Latvia and Lithuania - what to expect?

(01:06:04) Draw for the RFS goodie bag winner!

For latest in Baltic football, go to balticfootballnews.com and follow us on social media!

#latvia #lithuania #estonia #football #soccer #virsliga#alyga #premiumliiga #futbols #jalgpall #futbolas #baltics #futsal

Football in the Baltics is finally back! As A Lyga, Virsliga and Premium liiga are all about to kick off, we offer a quick, 3-in-1 preview to this year's season in each of the Baltic nations. From how we got to where we are, to who are the players to watch, to our predictions for each of the competitions in 30 minutes or less - we got you covered! (00:01:01) A Lyga season preview(00:07:17) A Lyga players to watch(00:10:45) A Lyga 2025 predictions(00:11:10) Virsliga season preview(00:17:34) Virsliga players to watch(00:20:53) Virsliga predictions(00:21:13) Premium liiga season preview(00:24:52) Premium liiga players to watch(00:25:59) Premium liiga predictionsOur friends at RFS have some merch for you! To win a 2025 design RFS scarf and hat to keep you warm during the chilly Baltic spring, make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and leave a comment with the name of the team that you support under this episode. Winner will be chosen on March 16th!For latest football news from the Baltics, go to balticfootballnews.com#football #soccer #latvia #lithuania #estonia #virsliga #alyga #premiumliiga #jalgpall #futbols #futbolas

In this ultimate superhero showdown of Baltic Football News, the podcast team takes on the editorial team to find out who knows more about football in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia (or whether any of us know anything at all!)!Do you think you could do better? Share how many of the questions you got right in the comments below!

For all information about Baltic football in English and for latest football news from the region, including Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian players abroad, visit www.balticfootballnews.com

It's time to talk about Baltic football.

Why care about Baltic football, you may ask? It is exciting. It is unpredictable. It is accessible. And, it is authentic. For us, it is also local and we are very excited to expand our aperture to include Lithuania and Estonia to our previous coverage of Latvia. Whether you reside in one of the Baltic states and want to learn about what's going on next door or you are one of our many international listeners with great taste in football, we and our pan-Baltic team of football aficionados are here to cut through the language barrier and expose Baltic football in all its glory.

In this first episode of the Baltic Football Podcast, we talk about the new format before covering some of the key stories from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia from January 2025. Tune in and dive in!

(00:00:01) Why do we care about Baltic football?

(00:07:05) Fans secure a home stadium purchase for FK Zalgiris!

(00:11:50) Gvidas Gineitis scores his first Serie A goal

(00:14:14) The football love story called FK Grobina

(00:19:47) Valmiera FC shown the Virsliga door

(00:22:03) Dream come true for Tamm, "the Estonian Haaland"

(00:25:15) Paide lead the way in girl's football

(00:28:03) Our favourite pan-Baltic friendlies

For football news from the Baltics, make sure to check out our brand new website - balticfootballnews.com

The Europa league stage is set to conclude with an intriguing clash between two teams that know one another quite well - FC RFS and FC Dynamo Kyiv. While both teams got some results in their previous match (RFS beating Ajax 1-0 and Dynamo drawing Galatasaray 3-3) both are also eliminated and have nothing but respect and UEFA money and coefficient points to play for.

For this final episode of this unexpectedly, yet delightfully long series on next opponents of Latvian clubs in Europe which started last summer (!), we sit down with a British-Ukrainian sports journalist Andrew Todos, who also hosts the podcast Zorya Londonsk, to discuss the upcoming Dynamo Kyiv fixture in Hamburg on January 30, 2025.

For more information (and ALL information) about Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian football, please visit balticfootballnews.com

On January 23, 2025, FC RFS will take on Dutch giants AFC Ajax in the Europa League at the Daugava Stadium, with over 2,500 Ajax supporters expected to travel to Riga. For RFS, who have never played competitive football in January, preventing Ajax from coming away with 3 points will be a monumental challenge. As anticipation builds, we explore what the Latvian champions and their fans can expect from this formidable Ajax side. To learn more, we interviewed Thijs Zwagerman - journalist for the ESPN Netherlands and host of the ‘Het Sportpaleis’ podcast. For more information about football in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, and for latest news in Baltic football, visit www.balticfootballnews.com

Europa league continues and Riga is about to welcome Greek champions PAOK as they travel to a snowy Latvia to challenge FC RFS this Thursday. Latvian champions, of course, are undefeated at home, so this one should be extra interesting! To find out more about PAOK, we sat down with Dimitris Vasilakos from Betarades.gr and the "You'll never stand alone' podcast. MANSCAPED.COM know that our listeners are some of the most attractive human beings out there and they want to do their bit to help others see it too! To this end, they have just released a brand new foil shaver and stubble trimmer - the Chairman Pro (what a name!) and are willing to give you 20% off on your order with manscaped.com + free shipping when you use promo code LFP20. Help the podcast and help yourself to look neat and fresh with their genuinely very impressive range of products. Franks likes the shaver and Dmitrijs is really impressed with the boxers and the care products! Also, we highly recommend the Bradt Travel Guide to Latvia by Paul Brummel! It is a legitimately excellent guide (even approved by Dmitrijs, wow!) that will make your visit to Latvia much, much more special and enjoyable! Bradt offer our listeners a sweet deal with a LATVIA30 promo code! #paok #rfs #rfspao #teammanscaped #europaleague #football #soccer #riga

Virsliga season 2024 is over and what a ride it's been! RFS won the League and the Cup, Valmiera almost ceased to exist, and Daugavpils made a legitimate run for Europe! We sit down to review the ups and the downs, to reflect on our start-of-season predictions and review how our 'players to watch' did, to award our season awards, and to ponder on what to look forward to next year!

(00:02:05) End-of-season table review

(00:19:25) Reflecting on our start-of-season predictions

(00:25:44) How did our 'Players to Watch' do?

(00:41:50) End-of-season awards: Best XI, MVP, U21 MVP, Biggest Flop and Biggest surprise!

(00:51:23) What we expect of next season and will Grobina survive?

(00:56:36) Some news

MANSCAPED.COM know that our listeners are some of the most attractive human beings out there and they want to do their bit to help others see it too! To this end, they have just released a brand new foil shaver and stubble trimmer - the Chairman Pro (what a name!) and are willing to give you 20% off on your order with manscaped.com + free shipping when you use promo code LFP20. Help the podcast and help yourself to look neat and fresh with their genuinely very impressive range of products. Franks likes the shaver and Dmitrijs is really impressed with the boxers and the care products!

Also, we highly recommend the Bradt Travel Guide to Latvia by Paul Brummel! It is a legitimately excellent guide (even approved by Dmitrijs, wow!) that will make your visit to Latvia much, much more special and enjoyable! Bradt offer our listeners a sweet deal with a LATVIA30 promo code!

We sit down with one of the Metta Academy coaches - James Prieditis, former coach at Huddersfield, Rochdale and Burnley - to talk about Latvian football, youth development, things to consider when picking an academy for your child, and about his extraordinary connection with Latvia. *please note that the original interview was about twice longer, but we lost half the footage due to a technical glitch :( Would you like to look as slick as James? Our friends at Manscaped have you covered with a range of new and existing products, ranging from the known and loved Lawn Mover 5.0 Ultra, to the recent Beard Hedger to the newest Scalp Buffer - a silicone pad designed to exfoliate the scalp, stimulate blood flow, and enhance shampoo performance for a cleaner, healthier head of hair. To get this, or any other manly grooming gear of theirs, go to manscaped.com and use our code LFP20 for 20% off plus free shipping! Also, we highly recommend the Bradt Travel Guide to Latvia by Paul Brummel! It is a legitimately excellent guide (even approved by Dmitrijs, wow!) that will make your visit to Latvia much, much more special and enjoyable! OR, if you are already here, will definitely help discover, rediscover or see places around our beautiful land in new light - yes, it's THAT extensive! Bradt offer our listeners a sweet deal with a LATVIA30 promo code!

Matchday 3 of Europa League 2024/2025 is here and RFS are heading out to Germany, to play one of the most formidable teams on their fixture list - Eintracht Frankfurt. A club with 125 year history and a 58000 capacity stadium, which is expected to be sold out, is a proper powerhouse of European football. To learn more about them, their style of play, and their famous fans, we are joined by Oliver Schliegl, a football agent and former CEO of Latvian Virsliga, to share his unique experience of being a bridge between Latvian and German football.

With only four rounds to go, there is no shortage of drama and excitement remaining in Virsliga 2024! Whether it is last minute coach changes at Riga FC, seemingly unbeatable RFS, emergent Metta and resurgent Liepaja, failing Valmiera or Grobina in a free-fall, the conclusion of this season is promising to be emotional!

(02:50) Riga rumours and Simo Valakari departure

(09:45) The Latvian Cup - all that happened, scores and misfortunes

(14:00) The cup curses - PPK and Grobina

(20:55) Do Daugavpils have a shot at Europe?

(21:25) Virsliga table, form and teams observations

(23:45) Grobina league woes

(25:11) Latvia win Euro UNITY Cup!

(25:45) Our Virsliga predictions

(33:22) RFS Women win the Latvian Cup!

(34:06) Europa league: RFS vs Galatasaray

One of the most unique games of Europa league is going to be against Ajax in Riga on the 23rd January 2025, which means that it's time to start growing a nice and thick beard in order to keep your face from freezing off during the match. To help you with this, and with your other grooming needs, our friends at manscaped.com developed a whole range of products, including The Beard Hedger - a specialist shaver for your face - and the latest Scalp Buffer - a silicone pad specifically engineered to improve blood circulation on and in your dome. Whether you are as hairy as Herdi Prenga or as shiny as Viktors Morozs, scalp buffer will make you feel fantastic and look your best. To get 20% off any order at manscaped.com + free shipping, use our promo code LFP20.

For a chance to win a EUR100+ shaver (The Lawn Mover 5.0), share what you feel was the closest shave of this season thus far on any of our social media channels (Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok)!

Also, we highly recommend the Bradt Travel Guide to Latvia by Paul Brummel! It is a legitimately excellent guide (even approved by Dmitrijs, wow!) that will make your visit to Latvia much, much more special and enjoyable! Bradt offer our listeners a sweet deal with a LATVIA30 promo code!

Europa league is underway and one of the largest clubs in the world is about to visit Riga for RFS’s first home fixture at the almost fully sold out Daugava stadium. We are, of course, talking about Turkish Galatasaray! To learn about what we could expect from visiting supporters, as well as to catch up on how Galatasaray currently play, their strengths and weaknesses, Frank sat down with Ahmet Atasoy of the Tottiler Messiler podcast (@messiler)!

Our friends at Manscaped have a range of new products available, including the all new Scalp Buffer - a silicone scalp scrubbed that feels incredible and is very good for your hair and scalp. Remember the heavenly sensation first time someone used those wire head massagers on you? Scalp Buffer makes you feel this way every time you wash your hair, regardless of whether you have the hair of David Beckham in the early 2000s or of Viktors Morozs as he is trying to figure out his starting 11 for Galatasaray. Get 20% off and free shipping with our promo code: LFP20

Don't forget that one of the key games of Europa leagues is going to be against Ajax in Riga on the 23rd January 2025, meaning that it's time to start growing a nice and thick beard to keep your face warm during the match. To help you with this, our friends at manscaped.com developed The Beard Hedger - a specialist shaver for your face bush. To get 20% off any order at manscaped.com and for free shipping, use our promo code LFP20.

For a chance to win a EUR100+ shaver (The Lawn Mover 5.0), share what you feel was the closest shave of this season thus far on any of our social media channels (Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok)!

Also, we highly recommend the Bradt Travel Guide to Latvia by Paul Brummel! It is a legitimately excellent guide (approved by Dmitrijs!) that will make your visit to Latvia much, much more special and enjoyable!

Bradt offer our listeners a sweet deal with a LATVIA30 promo code!

RFS, Auda, Riga FC and Liepaja delivered a long and generally very successful qualification campaign in Europe, culminating with RFS making history by qualifying for the Europa League league stage, where they will face Galatasaray, Anderlecht, PAOK, Ajax, FCSB, Eintracht Frankfurt and Maccabi Tel-Aviv!

But with all this excitement, we feel that Virsliga got a bit neglected, so, in this episode, we catch up on what's been going on during the summer!

(00:00) Table update

(19:57) Niang to USG!

(22:26) Big Riga Derby 3

(23:35) Can Riga FC catch up?

(27:57) Nations league C debut

(33:24) Europa league in Riga

One of the key games of Europa leagues is going to be against Ajax in Riga on the 23rd January 2025, meaning that it's time to start growing a nice and thick beard to keep your face warm during the match. To help you with this, our friends at manscaped.com developed The Beard Hedger - a specialist shaver for your face bush. To get 20% off any order at manscaped.com and for free shipping, use our promo code LFP20.

For a chance to win a EUR100+ shaver (The Lawn Mover 5.0), share what you feel was the closest shave of this season thus far on any of our social media channels (Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok)!

Also, we highly recommend the Bradt Travel Guide to Latvia by Paul Brummel! It is a legitimately excellent guide (approved by Dmitrijs!) that will make your visit to Latvia much, much more special and enjoyable! Bradt offer our listeners a sweet deal with a LATVIA30 promo code!

And then there was one! With Auda unable to hold on to their first leg advantage against FC Drita from Kosovo and losing 3-2 in the second leg away, it is now up to RFS to represent Latvia in Europe! And they will whatever the outcome of the final qualification round but, having already qualified for the Conference League, wouldn't it be nice to up the ante and take it all the way to the Europa League?

With only the Cypriot champions APOEL in the way, we are joined by Stel from the This is Mappa podcast to learn more about what this club is all about!

While this game was nowhere near a close shave, you can ensure that you are well groomed with new products from our friends at MANSCAPED! They have a new Beard Trimmer, which will leave you looking gorgeous and very manly indeed. Get your hands on one and show the love for our work by going to manscaped.com and using promo code LFP20 for 20% off plus free shipping!

Did you get inspired by the romance of Latvian football and the beautiful sights in the background of LNK Sporta Parks? If so and you'd like to visit Latvia to enjoy the beautiful game and enjoy our beautiful country, make sure to get your hands on a proper guide (and not those knock-off touristy ones that highlights generic things ChatGPT can). And we've got just the one for you - the Bradt Travel guide to Latvia! Not only is it legitimately impressive, Bradt are also giving our listeners a great deal with the promo code LATVIA30 !

We continue to reflect on how Latvian clubs performed in the European competitions, where three Riga teams played against clubs from Norway, Poland, and Northern Ireland: Bodo/Glimt, Śląsk Wrocław, and Cliftonville. One game won, one game lost, and one game broke our hearts...

We then look ahead to the upcoming Europa league QR3 match between FC RFS and Andorran champions UE Santa Coloma, and Frank interviews Eljon Kastrati of Kosovo Football (@FootballKosovo) about FK Auda's Conference League QR3 opponents - FC Drita (which means "light" in Albanian).

Please remember to share your thoughts and predictions, like the podcast and join in the conversation in the comments!

Finally, our friends at MANSCAPED came up with a solution for all of you, like Dmitrijs, with a manly bush adorning their faces! The days of using the same trimmer for your face and your private parts are officially over thanks to the Beard & Balls Bundle featuring The Lawn Mower® 5.0 and The Beard Hedger®— a trimmer for the money maker, and another for the boys downstairs. Get 20% off + free shipping with the code LFP20 at manscaped.com. For the premium grooming experience and to show your love for our podcast, trust MANSCAPED. 

European cup qualification rounds 1 are behind us and the highlight is RFS breaking the 15-year long curse of Latvian clubs not progressing past QR1 of the Champions League by convincingly beating Northern Irish Champions Larne FC 7-0 on aggregate! FK Auda also made history by winning their first ever European game and by progressing through a European qualification round for the first time, beating Faroese B36 Torshavn 3-0 on aggregate. Liepaja didn't make it (unsurprisingly) and Riga FC only start their Conference League campaign from QR2.

In this episode, we are first joined by Peter Cinnamond of the Kicking Match: An Irish League Podcast to reflect on RFS - Larne FC tie as well as to learn more about Auda's QR2 opponents - Northern Irish Cup winners Cliftonville FC. We are then joined by a Norwegian sports journalist - Jonas Adnan Giæver - to learn more about RFS's Champions League QR2 opponents - FK Bodø/Glimt.

MANSCAPED.COM know that our listeners are some of the most attractive human beings out there and they want to help bring all this beauty out from underneath a nordic layer of winter wool. In order to help with this, they are willing to give you 20% off on your order with manscaped.com + free shipping when you use promo code LFP20. Help the podcast and help yourself to look neat and fresh with their genuinely very impressive range of products. Franks likes the shaver and Dmitrijs is really impressed with the boxers and the care products!

Champions of Northern Ireland - Larne FC - have been drawn as Champions League Qualification Round 1 opponents of Latvian Champions FC RFS. But who are this red and white team from just north of Belfast and what are they all about? We are joined by Brian Haveron, a Larne FC supporter of more than 50 years, to introduce us to his club, it's history, and it's role in the local community of just under 20000 residents. For a more analytical approach, check out this analysis by our friend at Latvian Footy in English: https://latvianfooty.substack.com/p/larne-fc-from-lower-league-struggles #championsleague #northernireland #latvia #larnefc #larne #rfs #latvianfootball #football #soccer #nifl #virsliga2024 #teammanscaped With summer being in full swing, make sure to hook yourself (or your very best friend) up with some amazing gear from our friends at manscaped.com. Promo code LFP20 will not only get you 20% off your purchase and free shipping, but will also show appreciation for the podcast and for the work that we do! Make this summer your best one yet with MANSCAPED!

Baltic Cup - contested every two years by Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia - is the second (or third) oldest international competition in the world, and the oldest one still running. Older than the FIFA World Cup by 2 years and than UEFA EUROs by 30 years, the Baltic Cup is a fascinating event that not only mirrors the histories of the three Baltic states, but also features some of the most hilarious controversies you'll find in international football. To learn more about all this, we are joined by amateur historian of Latvian football - Raimonds Kaže. Also check out Raimonds's archival project (in Latvian) here: https://kazhe.lv/futbols/ Aside from the Baltic Cup, another cool thing about the Baltics in general, and Latvia in particular, are the endless white sand beaches (Latvia has 240km of sandy beaches!). When you hit that beach, make sure to look your best with products from our friends at manscaped.com. To help you out, they are offering listeners of the podcast 20% off + free shipping with the promo code LFP20 !

Much has happened during the international break, which brought us to the halfway point of Virsliga 2024. In this episode, we catch up on the competition and the surrounding news, as well as take a first look at the Champions League and the Conference League draws for the Latvian clubs.

(00:01:05) Table update
(00:09:24) FC RFS - Riga FC, the Big Riga Derby
(00:13:54) Kalns leaves Valmiera FC for Visakha FC
(00:20:09) Almeida sacked from FK Auda, replaced by Zeljkovic
(00:24:44) Transfer rumours
(00:29:54) On the goalkeepers of RFS and Fabrice Ondoa
(00:32:52) RFS vs Larne FC - Champions League QR1 draw
(00:36:05) More Faroe Islands for Latvia - Conference League QR1 draw
(00:39:06) Goals for 2024 and will Liepaja let us down again?
(00:42:34) A bit of banter about manscaped.com and the Virsliga summer

MANSCAPED.COM know that our listeners are some of the most attractive human beings out there and they want to help bring all this beauty out from underneath a nordic layer of winter wool. In order to help with this, they are willing to give you 20% off on your order with manscaped.com + free shipping when you use promo code LFP20. Help the podcast and help yourself to look neat and fresh with their genuinely very impressive range of products. Franks likes the shaver and Dmitrijs is really impressed with the boxers and the care products! #teammanscaped

Who are the supporter groups - the Ultras - of Virsliga? In this episode, we delve into the very public yet poorly understood and, in some cases, deliberately concealed world of Latvian Ultras to find out more about who they are, how they function and what they are all about. Additionally, we are joined by football statistician David Parkes to talk about what are club and league coefficients and how they affect clubs and fans from season to season. All of this, of course, after we catch up on the 7 rounds of Virsliga played since the previous episode! 

(00:03:47) Virsliga update: Rounds 5-12
(00:26:20) Chastisement of Valmiera
(00:42:03) Who are the Ultras of Virsliga
(01:30:35) Guest interview: club coefficients, with David Parkes
(01:46:01) Final thoughts and what to look forward to in May/June

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Virsliga 2024 is up and running and we sit down to look back at the first five rounds of what is proving to be a truly unpredictable, dynamic and highly competitive league this year! We also put FK Liepaja under the microscope and discuss possible causes of their poor performance as well as offer our Best XI for March-April. 

(00:01:02) Reflections on the first 5 rounds
(00:10:41) Impactful players
(00:17:51) Teams to watch (especially if you are new to the league!)
(00:21:35) What's wrong with FK Liepaja?
(00:58:57) Frank's tour of Latvian stadiums; new main stand at LNK Sporta Parks
(01:10:16) Best XI of March/April
(01:13:17) Please support the show!

Virsliga 2024 is upon us and so is the second year of the podcast. In this episode, we introduce some changes to the format and composition of the show, talk about major news from pre-season, and introduce the upcoming eight months of highly anticipated Latvian club football! We think this is going to be the best season yet, so tune in to find out why!

(00:00) New cast and new format
(02:44) Paolo Nicolato - new Latvia coach
(07:51) The failed Leevon Saldus takeover
(11:32) Livonian Winter League
(14:09) Latvian Super Cup
(20:27) Virsliga 2024: new derby in Liepaja
(26:50) Virsliga 2024: new coaches
(37:53) Virsliga 2024: our predictions
(55:11) 10 players to watch
(1:11:41) Where/how to watch Virsliga games?
(1:16:02) Why care about Latvian football and concluding remarks

As the first run of the Livonian Winter League - an international pre-season competition between 24 Latvian and Estonian clubs - comes to a close with a narrow victory for Latvia, we sit down with the Estonian Football Podcast to reflect on the competition, the good and the bad things about it, as well as to have a general chat about the state of Latvian and Estonian association football, not forgetting to briefly discuss the Baltic League idea and the Estonian resistance to it. Tune in, enjoy our first ever crossover episode and please leave a review on whatever platform you use to listen to podcasts!

Estonian Premium liiga starts 1st March and Latvian Virsliga a week later, on the 8th March!

The Baltic League is a pioneering cross-border league project within the UEFA, meant to unite and enlarge the football markets and competitive levels of Latvian, Estonian and Lithuanian clubs. But while there are many things that make a great deal of sense about the proposal spearheaded by the Latvian Virsliga, many questions, concerns and even sources of political resistance remain. Pivoting off of the Livonian Winter League, Nick Ames, The Guardian's European sport correspondent, travelled to Riga to find out about the idea first-hand. In this episode, Dmitrijs and Nick sit down to talk about his visit, what he thought of Latvian and regional football, and about the idea of cross-border leagues in general and the proposed Baltic League in particular!

Nick's article in The Guardian 'Baltic League could be pioneer for cross-border football in Europe' (17 Feb 2024): https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/feb/17/baltic-league-could-be-pioneer-for-cross-border-football-in-europe

What does the Virsliga look like to a Latvia-based Welshman and how did he come to support Valmiera FC? Frank Marr joins the show to talk about his love of football, the good and the bad things about Latvian football and the Latvian National Team (NB. this episode was recorded before the appointment of Paolo Nicolato), and about his vision for the future growth of association football in Latvia and in the Baltics!

Dmitrijs sits down with Charlotte Patterson, an avid football fan and prolific reader, writer, scout, commentator and media manager for Durham City AFC, to find out how she discovered Latvian Virsliga, what she likes and does not like about it, and why Riga is a surprising yet very worthwhile football getaway destination!

Charlotte's book recommendations:

• Titans of the Teardrop Isle: A Season as a Pro Footballer in Sri Lanka, by Seth Burkett
• Up Pohnpei: Leading the ultimate football underdogs to glory, by Paul Watson (of the Sweeper podcast)
• One Football, No Nets, by Justin Walley

In this new segment, Dmitrijs sits down with Ben Griffis to find out what Virsliga looks like from the outside (of Latvia). We talk about how Ben, himself from the USA, discovered Latvian football and the Virsliga, what he likes or does not like about it, as well as his work with football data and which of Virsliga teams is the closest to his heart.

Ben Griffis is a football analyst perhaps best known for his work with data and statistical model-building, which he shares on social media (on Twitter/X under the username @begriffis) in order to highlight and promote the beauty of football around the world.

We are joined by Guntars Indriksons for a long and candid conversation about the state of Latvian football. Guntars is one of the most prolific Valmiera FC fans, a former manager of Skonto Stadium and a former member of the Latvian FA Infrastructure Development Committee. Tune in for an uncensored view of the good, the bad, the ugly and the hopeful of Latvian football!

(00:00) Guntars Indriksons - football man, Valmiera fan
(04:52) Latvian National Team
(11:05) Latvia vs Wales
(16:16) #DainisOut, but who instead?
(19:56) On supporting the National Team
(26:14) The Valmiera FC Grand-Player-Garage-Sale: causes and consequences
(33:17) Race for the third place
(38:42) Skonto Stadium
(55:32) What is the ideal stadium capacity for Latvia?
(1:04:45) UAE money for the new national stadium?
(1:10:06) The state of football infrastructure and how it affects the game
(1:29:12) Is football really not King in Latvia?

In part 2 of our end-of-season-review, we talk about who we thought were the best players and the biggest surprises, as well as reflect on our beginning of the season predictions and on whether we thought 2023 was a step forward for Virsliga or not.

(01:05) Looking back at our predictions
(11:28) Virsliga 2023 Best XI
(36:56) Best Young Player
(38:32) Biggest Flop
(44:47) Biggest Surprise
(46:59) Virsliga 2023 MVP
(49:05) Coaches, goalkeepers, and yellow cards
(52:58) Is Virsliga developing?

Virsliga 2023 is over, so it’s time to reflect on how it ended, who won (or lost) what, who scored how many goals. In this first episode, we talk about the final standings and the top scorers.

(00:00) How it all ended
(07:07) FK RFS and Riga FC
(10:49) FK Auda
(15:37) Valmiera FC
(21:56) FK Liepaja
(28:42) FS Jelgava
(34:07) BFC Daugavpils
(38:01) FK Tukums 2000/Telms
(42:35) FK Metta
(49:03) SK Super Nova Salaspils
(56:09) Top scorers

Latvian Cup 2023 is over and Riga FC had won it in a penalty shoot-out against their arch rivals - RFS. Join us as we sit down right after the match to reflect on how it went and on what we can look forward to!

Jānis Vītols of Latvian Footy in English (@LV_footballnews) joins us for our second special episode to reflect on the Virsliga summer transfer window 2023. Who came, who left, who got loaned out and why, and was this transfer window a net gain for the Latvian Higher League? Tune in to find out what the man behind the largest Latvian football English-language social media account thinks of it all!

With the Conference League in the rear view mirror, we reflect on how Riga and Valmiera did in QR3 as well as catch-up on the Latvian Cup and the Virsliga.

(02:04) UECL QR3: Riga FC vs FC Twente (and Stipic)
(16:50) UECL QR3: Valmiera FC vs FK Partizani Tirana (and Kalns)
(25:19) Chasing the Top 33
(28:16) The Latvian Cup
(45:52) Catching up on Virsliga
(57:04) Metta in Europe?

Games that made sense, games that didn't, games that went as expected, and games that made us lose our minds - the UECL QR2 had it all! Join us as we reflect on how it went for the four Latvian teams in QR2 of the Conference League - Riga, RFS, Valmiera, and Auda - and what awaits Riga and Valmiera in QR3.

(00:54) Valmiera FC vs S.P. Tre Penne
(10:13) FK RFS vs Sabah FK
(22:21) FK Auda vs Spartak Trnava FC
(28:27) Riga FC vs Kecskeméti TE
(42:38) European games and Latvian football
(46:05) UECL QR3: Riga FC vs FC Twente and Valmiera vs FK Partizani Tirana

UEFA Champions League and UEFA Conference League are here and we could not be more excited! Join us as we discuss how Valmiera did in their Champions League debut against Olimpija Ljubljana and how both Riga FC and RFS performed in their respective Conference League draws against Vikingur Reykjavik and Makedonija GP! We also look ahead to Qualification round 2 and compare and contrast our, apparently, very different perspectives on how it's going to go down.

(00:38) UCL Q1: Valmiera FC vs Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN)
(12:01) UECL Q1: FK RFS vs Makedonija GP (MKD)
(22:27) UECL Q1: Riga FC vs Vikingur Reykjavik (ISL)
(33:55) UECL Q2: Valmiera FC vs Tre Penne (SMR)
(41:41) UECL Q2: FK RFS vs Sabah FC (AZE)
(44:56) UECL Q2: FK Auda vs FC Spartak Trnava (SVK)
(51:16) UECL Q2: Riga FC vs Kecskeméti TE (HUN)
(52:50) Looking back and looking ahead

In our first Special episode, Dmitrijs sits down with the CEO of Virsliga, Maksims Krivunecs, to talk about the business of Latvian Virsliga. Football, in general, is an interesting context within which to examine the various organisations involved, but Virsliga is even more interesting still on account of it being a young competition with very little budgetary impact of matchday revenue. And yet, Latvian club football is punching well above it's weight, currently being ranked 34th by UEFA. How do they do it?

Join us for this fascinating conversation to learn how Virsliga is pushing the envelope of digitisation and business model innovation, all the while working on a shoestring budget and devoid of even domestic TV sales!

(01:20) Maksims Krivunecs
(05:19) The business model of Virsliga
(17:09) A note on how clubs make money
(17:53) Digitisation and the business of data
(38:12) Interest, engagement, commercialisation
(42:44) Getting more people into the stadiums
(50:01) Three ways to grow further

Latest two rounds in the run-up to the European games did not bring many surprises, but did deliver a few exciting games (especially from the lower end of the table). Join us as we catch up on what happened in rounds 21 and 22!

(01:29) Tukums vs Metta
(03:51) Auda vs Valmiera
(07:45) RFS vs Jelgava
(12:22) Riga vs Liepaja
(18:34) Daugavpils vs Super Nova
(22:37) Valmiera vs Tukums
(27:42) Liepaja vs RFS
(35:27) Riga vs Auda
(40:08) Jelgava vs Super Nova
(44:39) Metta vs Daugavpils
(47:59) Current standings
(56:30) Goal of the Round

The biggest domestic football night of the year - The Big Riga Derby at Skonto - has arrived and, boy oh boy, it did not disappoint! Join us, as we talk about our experiences of the game (we were both there), rest of matchday 20 clashes, and about some other news in and around Virsliga!

(00:00) We are now also on Instagram!
(03:09) Some transfer news: Steponavicius, Lemajic, Berqvist, Liepaja, and Riga FC
(22:35) The Harušták interview
(25:17) Valmiera vs Liepaja
(28:49) Metta vs Auda
(35:16) Daugavpils vs Jelgava
(38:30) Super Nova vs Tukums
(43:29) Riga vs RFS
(1:00:39) Goal of the Round

As we roll into the third lap of Virsliga 2023, another competition is upon us - the Latvian Cup! It's been ongoing in the background for a bit of time now, but we are now at a point where Virsliga teams are mixed into the bunch. Join us, as we review the latest round of Virsliga and introduce the six non-Virsliga teams in the Cup draw!

(00:00) Introduction, Liepaja vs Metta
(09:32) RFS vs Valmiera
(19:23) Super Nova vs Auda
(24:37) Jelgava vs Riga
(32:22) Daugavpils vs Tukums
(37:45) Latvian Cup 1/8 Draw
(40:16) The 6 non-Virsliga teams

After a crazy rollercoaster of emotions that was Latvia's EURO2024 qualification games against Turkey and Armenia (and the lingering feeling of utter desolution and despair that came with those), we open a new chapter with the first round qualification draws for the Champions League and the Conference League! Exciting! European games are just weeks away and we can't wait!

In the Champions League, debutants Valmiera will face NK Olimpija Ljubljana from Slovenia.
In the Conference League, Riga FC will face Víkingur Reykjavík from Iceland and RFS will square off with Makedonija GP from... North Macedonia, of course. Who are the favourites and who are the underdogs? Join us as we discuss!

(00:00) EURO2024 vs Turkey and Armenia
(09:37) Conference League Q1 Draws
(19:07) Champions League Q1 Draw

A bit more banter than usual, but join us for mid-season reflections on Virsliga 2023!

(02:42) Spezia, Caambur and Tobers
(07:42) Latvian NT call-up
(17:25) Riga vs RFS
(21:24) RFS docuseries - Fight for the Dream
(24:04) Riga vs RFS continued
(27:09) The Vakulko controversy
(29:00) Mid-table
(37:12) Lithuanian and Estonian National Teams
(39:17) Tukums and Sloka
(40:53) Top Scorers
(44:46) Bottom of table predictions
(46:22) Round 19
(47:45) Goal of the Round

Join us as we catch up on the last three rounds of 2023 Virsliga. Much has happened in and around Virsliga in just short of two weeks, including: 15 games, new coach (and sporting director) in Jelgava, the Big Riga derby part 2, fall of Liepaja and a sneaky rise of Valmiera, transfer bans and so much more!

(00:00) Historic IIHF Bronze for Latvia!
(09:47) New coach for Jelgava
(15:19) Travelling to Riga, Skonto Stadium and Tukums pitch
(22:38) Round 13
(25:43) Round 14
(31:54) Round 15, standings and European musings
(50:47) Goal of the round

Goals, goals, goals! This is what matchdays 11 and 12 were all about! Goals and penalties. Join us as we reflect on what happened, as well as take a look at how Latvians abroad are doing.

(00:00) Gutkovskis, Uldrikis & Tobers
(09:49) Auda vs Liepaja
(13:52) Valmiera vs Super Nova Salaspils
(15:04) Riga vs Daugavpils & Tukums vs RFS
(19:28) Dmitrijs Zelenkovs
(22:29) Jelgava vs Metta
(26:05) Valmiera vs Auda
(30:21) Liepaja vs Riga
(34:38) Metta vs Tukums
(39:07) RFS vs Jelgava
(44:19) Super Nova Salaspils vs Daugavpils
(48:16) The league table
(55:37) Goal of the Round(s)