Latvian First League
{{Infobox football league
| country = {{LAT}}
| founded = {{start date and age|1992}}
| teams = 14
| promotion = TonyBet Virslīga
| relegation = Altero.lv LIIGA
| levels = 2
| domest_cup = Responsible Game Latvian Cup
| confed_cup =
| champions = SK Super Nova
| season = 2024
| current = 2025 Latvian First League
| website = {{URL|http://lff.lv/en/tournaments/men-tournaments/1st-league/|lff.lv/1st-league}}
}}
The Latvian First League ({{langx|lv|Latvijas Pirmā līga, 1. līga}}) is the second tier of football in Latvia and is organised by the Latvian Football Federation. Since 2021, its full name is Nākotnes Līga (Future League).
History
The league was founded together with other Latvian football competitions in 1992. From 2007 to 2008, the tournament was known as the Traffic 1. līga, due to its first sponsorship deal concluded with the "Traffic auto advert" advertising company.{{cite news |date=2007-04-04 |title=Second division Traffic League kicks-off |publisher=Latvian Football Federation |url=http://www.lff.lv/en/news/2007/04/04/ |url-status=dead |access-date=2008-02-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722063847/http://www.lff.lv/en/news/2007/04/04/ |archive-date=2011-07-22}} From 2015 its name was Komanda.lv First League (Komanda.lv 1. līga) for sponsorship reasons, after the [https://komanda.lv/ Komanda.lv] sporting goods store became the league's main sponsor in 2015.{{Cite web|url=http://sportacentrs.com/futbols/1_liga/12032015-komanda_lv_klust_par_1_ligas_futbola_cemp|title="komanda.lv" kļūst par 1. līgas futbola čempionāta titulsponsoru|date=2015-03-12|website=Sportacentrs.com|language=lv|access-date=2019-04-01}} Between 2021 and 2024, the league's general sponsor was the gambling company Optibet, so the league was called "Optibet Future League".
Format
There are 14 clubs in the First League. During the course of the season each club plays every other club twice, once at home and once away, with a total of 26 games. At the end of the season, the highest placed club is automatically promoted to the Virslīga. The second lowest placed club in the Virslīga and the second placed club in the First League compete in a two-legged tie for the remaining place in the following season's Virslīga. The two clubs finishing at the bottom of the First League are relegated to the Second League, while the third-from-bottom team competes in a two-legged tie with the third-placed team of the Second League for a place in the First League.{{Cite web |title=Latvijas Futbola federācija |url=https://lff.lv/sacensibas/viriesi/optibet-nakotnes-liga/|access-date=2022-12-29 |website=lff.lv |language=lv}}
First League clubs (2025)
14 clubs took part in the Nākotne līga season:
Past First League winners
:
a Previously won as Ranto/AVV.References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://lff.lv/sacensibas/viriesi/pirma-liga-a/ The First League on the Latvian Football Federation website] (in Latvian)
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20170506224725/https://lff.lv/en/tournaments/men-tournaments/1st-league/ (Archive) The page of the league on the Latvian Football Federation website (in English)]
- [http://www.league321.com/latvia-football.html League321.com] - Latvian football league tables, records & statistics database. {{in lang|en}}
{{Latvian First League}}
{{Football in Latvia}}
{{UEFA second leagues}}