FK Metta

FK Metta (also FK Metta/Latvijas Universitāte) is a professional Latvian football club in Riga. As of 2012 they play in the Latvian Higher League. Metta play their home games at Daugava Stadium. Until June 2018, their home venue was the Riga Hanza Secondary School Stadium.[1]

FK Metta
Full nameFutbola Klubs METTA
(Football Club METTA)
Founded2 May 2006
GroundDaugava Stadium, Riga
Capacity10,461
ChairmanĢirts Mihelsons
ManagerAndris Riherts
LeagueVirsliga
20209th
WebsiteClub website

History

FS Metta was officially founded on May 2, 2006, though the club had been active in youth tournaments since 2000. In 2007 FS Metta and University of Latvia (Latvijas Universitāte) merged as a senior professional team and participated in the Latvian Championship 1st division (Traffic 1. līga). They finished the season in the 4th position. The club remained at the same level for the next four seasons. Though a professional club, Metta retained the prefix FS (Futbola Skola), since their policy was to invest in youth players. In 2011 Metta won the Latvian First League championship and were automatically promoted to the Latvian Higher League – the top tier of Latvian football.[2]

The affiliation with the university provides the club with a greater financial backing and the players with the opportunity, if wanted, to study at the most prestigious Latvian University. The club was created with the aim to gather the greatest youth talents from across the country and surrounding areas to build and shape them into expensive players for sale to bigger clubs.[3]

In 2020 FK Metta were the youngest top-tier team in Europe. [4] At the end of the season the team's average age was 19,5. [5]

In September 2020, FK Metta forward Raimonds Krollis made his debut for the Latvia national football team. [6] He became the first ever player that has gone through the whole FK Metta academy and played for the Senior national team.

Patron of the University of Latvia

Football school "Metta" is a silver patron of the University of Latvia Foundation. Supports University of Latvia since 2016, donating to the football system and scholarships.[7]


Participation in Latvian Championships
Season Division (Name) Pos./Teams Pl. W D L GS GA P Latvian Football Cup
2007 2nd (1.līga) 4/(16) 30 18 7 5 67 23 61 1/8 finals
2008 2nd (1.līga) 5/(15) 28 13 9 6 43 27 48 1/8 finals
2009 2nd (1.līga) 6/(14) 26 13 6 7 47 19 45 Not Held
2010 2nd (1.līga) 5/(12) 22 10 6 6 42 25 36 1/8 finals
2011 2nd (1.līga) 1/(13) 24 17 5 2 61 14 56 1/8 finals
2012 1st (Virslīga) 8(10) 36 7 8 21 39 82 29 1/8 finals
2013 1st (Virslīga) 9(10) 27 4 7 16 15 47 19 1/16 finals
2014 1st (Virslīga) 9(10) 36 3 7 26 26 69 16 1/16 finals
2015 1st (Virslīga) 7(8) 24 3 3 18 19 56 12 1/4 finals
2016 1st (Virslīga) 7(8) 28 8 6 14 32 47 30 1/4 finals
2017 1st (Virslīga) 7(8) 24 3 6 15 21 46 15 1/4 finals
2018 1st (Virslīga) 7(8) 28 5 4 19 24 52 19 1/2 finals
2019 1st (Virslīga) 9(9) 32 6 8 18 35 60 26 1/8 finals
2020 1st (Virslīga) 9(10) 27 4 4 19 22 55 16 1/8 finals

Honours

Managers
  • Andris Riherts (2006 – present)

Current players

First-team squad

As of 24 August, 2020 [8] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  LVA Helmuts Saulītis
2 DF  LVA Gabriels Kirkils
3 DF  LVA Normunds Uldriķis
4 DF  BRA Franklin Joseph
5 DF  LVA Daniels Fedorovičs
6 MF  LVA Oskars Vientiess
7 DF  NGA Lukman Zakari
8 MF  LVA Rihards Ozoliņš
9 FW  LVA Raimonds Krollis
10 MF  NOR Alban Kadriu
11 FW  RSA Kgotso Masangane
13 DF  LVA Krists Kristers Gulbis
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 FW  SWE Sylvin Kayembe
15 DF  LVA Rendijs Šibass
18 FW  LVA Matīss Zēģele
19 FW  LVA Artjoms Puzirevskis
20 MF  CAN Benson Fazili
21 MF  LVA Iļja Korotkovs
22 DF  LVA Jegors Novikovs
23 FW  LVA Aleksejs Krjukovičs
24 GK  LVA Jānis Beks
25 MF  LVA Renārs Guliaks
26 FW  LVA Bruno Melnis
27 DF  LVA Emīls Birka
28 DF  LVA Roberts Ķipsts

For recent squad changes see: List of Latvian football transfers summer 2014 and List of Latvian football transfers winter 2014-15

Player of the year
Season Player
2006 Jānis Kauss
2007 Vladimirs Cīmanis
2008 Ivars Gailis
2009 Marsels Vapne
2010 Juris Skābardis
2011 Rūdolfs Puķītis
2012 Mārtiņš Milašēvičs
2013 Gatis Kalniņš
2014 Edgars Vardanjans
2015 Eduards Emsis
2016 Roberts Uldriķis
2017 Dāvis Indrāns
2019 Dāvis Ošs
2019 Kgotso Masangane
2020 Raimonds Krollis

Club officials

Board of Directors
  • General secretary: Ģirts Mihelsons
  • Executive Director: Maira Mihelsone
  • Sports Director: Andris Riherts

Coaching staff
  • Manager: Andris Riherts
  • Coach: Viktors Mazurs
  • Fitness Coach: Jānis Skābardis
  • Second team coach: Andrejs Karpovs
  • Goalkeeping Coach: Artūrs Biezais
  • Skill Coach: Jānis Goba

Medical staff
  • Doctor: Sandra Rozenštoka
  • Physiotherapist: Valters Brīkšis

School staff
  • Press Officer: Rihards Krēvics
  • Technical manager: Harijs Toms

Shirt sponsors and manufacturers
Period Kit manufacturer Shirt Sponsor
2007 Nike Deac
2008 Elko
2009 Deac
2010
2011
2012 SMScredit.lv
2013
2014 none
2015
2016
2017
2018

References
  1. "Oficiāli: "Metta"/LU no skolas laukuma pārcelsies uz "Daugavas" stadionu". Sportacentrs.com (in Latvian). 2018-05-17. Retrieved 2019-03-17.
  2. "Metta" uzvar 1. līgā un nākamgad spēlēs Virslīgā Archived 2012-12-05 at the Wayback Machine (Latvian)
  3. Komanda Archived 2016-07-27 at the Wayback Machine (Latvian)
  4. http://www.fsmetta.lv/aktualitates/meistarkomanda/fk-metta-the-youngest-team-in-european-football-highest-leagues
  5. http://www.fsmetta.lv/aktualitates/meistarkomanda/sezonas-apskats-pasi-sevi-nolikam-uz-izkrisanas-slieksna
  6. http://www.fsmetta.lv/aktualitates/meistarkomanda/atskats-mettas-vesture-zimigakie-momenti-septembri
  7. https://www.fonds.lv/lepojamies/mecenati/sudraba-mecenati/futbola-skola-metta/
  8. "Players".
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