All 10 clubs have received the licenses issued by the Latvian Football Federation (LFF) for the 2026 super league season, including the newcomer “Ogre United”, which is not going to set modest goals in its debut year. The city of Ogre will be represented in the Super League for the first time.
In recent years, the situation that LFF grants an A license for participation in the Super League to all ten applicants, and in the first instance, is unusual. Previously, one or even several clubs had difficulties with meeting the criteria.
Artūrs Salnikovs, LFF’s lawyer in sports law, explained in a conversation with Latvian Television (LTV) that there was an opportunity to check the clubs’ December obligations, and it became a good reminder to follow financial discipline even shortly before receiving a new license.
“Ogre United”, which won the first league last year, received the first league license. In a conversation with LTV, the co-founder of “Ogre United” Juris Skābardis admitted that the club was very serious about solving the issues, which is why everything worked out. However, the club will be happy to the end when the home game at the Ogre Stadium is played at the end of August. An inspection is still scheduled to evaluate the quality of the Ogre Stadium surface.
“Then we will be completely happy that we have received the license,” Skābardis refrained from premature jubilation.
“Ogre United” has also fulfilled the financial conditions, exceeding the minimum budget, which is 150,000 euros.
The Ogre club will start the season on the Salaspils artificial turf field, but in the summer it hopes to play in the stadium of the Ogre district sports center, where high-level athletics competitions have previously been hosted.
Skābardis named the improvement of the grass in the stadium as the most important task, which would allow us to move to the next level of development. Additional funds for the improvement of the stadium lawn were granted by the municipality of Ogre, and the club’s management does not paint the future in modest colors.
“The goals will be TOP6, TOP5 and only up. It makes no sense to throw yourself into something new if you don’t have the highest goals,” Skābardis explained the task of the rookies. “Its staying [virslīgā] – it sounds quite sad that you want to enter somewhere to stay somewhere.”
Former “Skonto” and “Ventspils” player Aleksandrs Rehviashvilli from Georgia has become the coach of the Ogre club, and only 10% of the players from the previous season have remained in the team.
The Premier League season will begin on March 6, when three-time champions RFS host newcomers Ogre United.
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