2017 Latvian Higher League


The 2017 Latvian Higher League is the 26th season of top-tier football in Latvia. Spartaks Jūrmala are the defending champions, having won their first title in the previous season.

Teams

The bottom-placed team from the 2016 season, BFC Daugavpils, were directly relegated to the 2017 Latvian First League. They were replaced by Babīte, champions of the 2016 Latvian First League.
The seventh-placed team from the 2016 season, FS METTA/LU, retained their top-flight spot for the 2017 season by defeating 2016 First League runners-up, AFA Olaine in the play-offs.
Babīte was removed from the league on 22 June 2017 after the Latvian Football Federation received a notice from UEFA's Betting Fraud Detection System for 6 separate games involving Babīte. All the results for Babīte games were invalidated and do not count for the standings.
ClubLocationStadiumCapacity
BabītePiņķiPiņķu stadions500
JelgavaJelgavaOlympic Sports Center of Zemgale1,560
LiepājaLiepājaDaugava Stadium5,008
Metta/LURigaHanzas vidusskolas laukums2,000
RFSRigaStadions Arkādija1,000
RigaRigaSkonto Stadium8,207
Spartaks JūrmalaJūrmalaSlokas Stadium2,800
VentspilsVentspilsVentspils Olimpiskais Stadions3,044

Source:

Kits manufacturer and sponsors

League table

Results

Each team will play the other seven teams home-and-away twice, for a total of 28 games each.

Relegation play-offs

The seventh-placed side faced the runners-up of the 2017 Latvian First League in a two-legged play-off, with the winner being awarded a spot in the 2018 Higher League competition.

Season statistics

Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1 Yevgeni KozlovSpartaks Jūrmala13
2 Artūrs KarašausksLiepāja12
3 Adeleke AkinyemiVentspils10
4 Tosin AiyegunVentspils9
5 Bogdan VaštšukRiga8
6 Mārcis OšsJelgava7
6 Daniils UlimbaševsRFS7
8 Kristaps GrebisLiepāja6
8 Ģirts KarlsonsLiepāja6
8 Edgars GauračsSpartaks Jūrmala6