Valmieras FK


Valmiera Football Club or shortly Valmiera FC is a Latvian football club, playing in the Virslīga, the highest division of Latvian football. The club is based in the city of Valmiera. By winning the 2017 Latvian First League, the team was promoted to the 2018 Virslīga after a 14-year absence.

History

The club was founded in 1996. It participated in the 1. līga. The team finished second in the league which gave Valmiera the possibility to battle with the second from bottom team of the Higher League – Skonto-Metāls for a place in the top division of Latvian football. In the first game in Riga Skonto-Metāls won 1:0, but at home Valmiera overcame the one goal deficit and won 2:0, thus earning a place in the Virslīga.
In its debut season in the Virslīga Valmiera managed to finish 7th out of 9 teams with a comfortable margin over the two weakest teams. The following season was even more successful as the team finished 5th in Virslīga, and the same result was repeated in 1999. The new millennium brought financial difficulties for FK Valmiera. After the 2003 season the team had to leave the Virslīga because of financial difficulties and since then played in the 1. līga, paying more attention to developing young talents.
Several of former Valmiera players have played in the Latvia national football team. Those include Vīts Rimkus, Viktors Morozs, Gatis Kalniņš, Deniss Romanovs and Māris Smirnovs.
For more than ten years Valmiera was a mid level team in the 1. līga. Since 2010, under manager Gatis Ērglis a number of young local players experienced rapid development and the team became one of the leaders of the 1. līga. In 2016 the sports organisation was established as "SO Valmiera Glass / Vidzemes Augstskola" or "Valmiera Glass ViA" - taking the name of the team's long-time sponsor Valmiera Fiberglass and Vidzeme University, which inherited the legacy of Valmiera football. Also joining Valmiera Glass ViA was the school's basketball club. In 2017 the team's best scorers were Alvis Dubovs and Niks Savaļnieks, helping Valmiera Glass ViA to win the Latvian First League with a ten-point margin.
In 2018, Valmiera Glass ViA returned to the Virslīga. One of the biggest offseason deals for the team was the return of Gatis Kalniņš to his hometown, but sadly the veteran striker was mostly sidelined due to injuries. The team struggled in amidst fierce competition and earned only one point in the first ten rounds of the league. That led to the decision to replace long time manager Ērglis with Ukrainian coach Nikolay Trubachov.
In 2020 club is renamed to "Valmiera FC".

League and Cup history

;FK Valmiera / Valmiera Glass ViA / Valmiera FC
SeasonDivision Pos./TeamsLatvian Football Cup
19962nd 2/
19971st 7/
19981st 5/
19991st 5/1/4 finals
20001st 6/1/4 finals
20011st 6/1/4 finals
20021st 5/1/4 finals
20031st 6/1/8 finals
20042nd 7/1/16 finals
20052nd 6/1/8 finals
20062nd 7/1/8 finals
20072nd 10/3rd round
20082nd 7/Did not participate
20092nd 11/Not held
20102nd 6/Did not participate
20112nd 9/1/4 finals
20122nd 8/1/8 finals
20132nd 3/3rd round
20142nd 3/1/8 finals
20152nd 2/1/8 finals
20162nd 4/1/32 finals
20172nd 1/1/8 finals
20181st 8/Quarter-finals
20191st 4/1/8 finals

European record

As of November 2019
SeasonCompetitionRoundClubHomeAwayAgg.
2020–21UEFA Europa League1QR

;Notes

Current squad