FC Daugava

History

In 2001, the team was founded with the support of Daugavpils' businessman Vladislavs Drīksne, who was the owner of the eponymous Ditton company. After first entering the city league, in a few years Ditton managed to grow and ultimately win promotion to the Virslīga in 2003, although was instantly relegated in 2004. In the following 2005 Latvian First League season Ditton won promotion once again.

In 2006, before entering the 2006 Virslīga, Russian businessman Igor Malyshkov became the main shareholder in the club. It was his decision to change the club's name to FC Daugava, taking inspiration from the historic club from Daugavpils and including the date of its founding in the club crest. Ukrainian manager Sergei Yuran was invited to join the team staff, but he was soon replaced by Sergei Kiriakov. That season the club achieved their highest position to that point, finishing 5th in the championship. Meanwhile, he also created a plan to develop the infrastructure of the club and build a new stadium - the Daugava Stadium near Daugavpils Fortress. Malishkov invited Sergei Petrenko, who was then famous for his success with Torpedo Moscow, to become the manager of the team. Petrenko left in May 2007 for family reasons. In June 2007 Igor Gamula was appointed, but he only started managing the team in August 2008. Till then the incumbent manager was Mihails Zemļinskis.

On 19 July 2008 the Daugava Stadium was officially opened. That year the club won the Latvian Cup for the first time in its history. On 8 February 2009, due to financial problems, FC Daugava merged with Dinaburg FC and formed a united team under the name of FC Dinaburg for the 2009 season. That season Dinaburg were relegated from the Latvian Higher League due to suspicions of participation in match fixing. Daugava then decided to create a team that would play in the Latvian First League the following season, meanwhile Dinaburg ended its existence, stating that the club's image was spoiled. As Daugavpils is one of the biggest cities in Latvia, the LFF came up with a proposal to offer Daugava a place in the Latvian Higher League. The offer was accepted and Daugava were given a chance to represent Daugavpils in the higher league in the 2010 season.

In 2011, the club achieved its best result until then, finishing third in the championship. In 2012 Daugava became the champions of the Latvian Higher League for the first time in the club's history.

Match-fixing scandal

In July 2013 the Federbet organization expressed its concerns in regards to possible match fixing attempts concerning Daugava's UEFA Champions League game against IF Elfsborg, which the club lost 7–1, with 7 goals being scored in the second half. Prior to the 2014 Latvian Higher League season Daugava was initially denied the participation license due to non-existing youth academy but it was later obtained in exchange of promises to develop one in the near future. In October 2014, during a spot-check at the club, several of its members were interrogated, with the club's former president Oleg Gavrilov being arrested for money laundering, legalization of illegal earnings and other crimes, including ignorance of the previously imposed disqualification upon him from any activates affiliated with Latvian football. Four other people, including the club's technical director, manager and two players were disqualified for an indeterminate period of time until the end of the investigation. The investigation was lead in cooperation of the Latvian Football Federation, UEFA and the State Police of Latvia.

The scandal dealt a lethal blow to the club. It was not issued the necessary licence for entering the 2015 Virslīga and thus entered the third-tier Latvian Second League Latgale Zone. In December 2015 the club was excluded from the Latvian Football Federation and folded soon after.

Logo

FC Daugava are currently using a logo based on the design of the legendary Latvian football club FK Daugava Rīga that was founded in 1944 and played in the Soviet Top League.

Honours

• Virsliga
  • 2012
• Latvian Cup
  • 2008
• Latvian Supercup
  • 2013
• Virslīga Winter Cup
  • 2013

Participation in Latvian championships

;Notes 1 Season in the Latvian Second League

2 Season in the Latvian First League

European record

Sponsors

Managers

• Russia Sergei Yuran (1 Jan 2006 – 28 July 2006)
• Russia Sergei Kiriakov (June 2006 – Sept 2006)
• Russia Sergei Petrenko (1 Dec 2006 – 25 May 2007)
• Russia Igor Kichigin (Sept 2006 – Dec 2006)
• Ukraine Igor Gamula (June 2007 – Nov 2007)
• Latvia Mihails Zemļinskis (Nov 2007 – Aug 2008)
• Ukraine Igor Gamula (Aug 2008 – June 2009)
• Latvia Kirils Kurbatovs (June 2009 – Dec 2009)
• Latvia Sergejs Pogodins (Jan 2010 – Feb 2010)
• Georgia Tamaz Pertia (interim) (1 Feb 2010 – 31 Jan 2011)
• Russia Aleksandr Laptev (Feb 2010)
• Latvia Sergejs Pogodins (Feb 2010 – June 2010)
• Georgia Tamaz Pertia (2 July 2010 – 30 June 2011)
• Russia Leonid Nazarenko (July 2011 – Dec 2011)
• Russia Ravil Sabitov (22 Dec 2011 – 1 May 2012)
• Moldova Ivan Tabanov (1 July 2012 – Nov 2013)
• Russia Viktor Demidov (1 Jan 2014 – June 2014)
• Ukraine Hennadiy Orbu (4 June 2014 – Aug 2014)
• Moldova Ivan Tabanov (8 Aug 2014 – Oct 2014)

References

References

1. "FC Daugava Daugavpils – Soccer – Team Profile – Results, fixtures, squad, statistics – Global Sports Archive".
2. "Lapa īslaicīgi nav pieejama".
3. "Projekts Daugava". sporto.lv.
4. "Arhīvs / Diena". diena.lv.
5. DELFI. (19 July 2008). "Daugavpilī atklāts jaunais futbola komandas stadions". delfi.lv.
6. "Lapa īslaicīgi nav pieejama".
7. BNS. ""Dinaburg" par dalību totalizatoros izslēgta no futbola čempionāta". apollo.lv.
8. http://www.efutbols.lv/news/item/54_Daugavpils_{{dead link. (January 2018)
9. born.lv, BORN. "Latvijas futbola federācija". lff.lv.
10. DELFI. (21 July 2013). "Aizdomas par Daugavpils 'Daugava' – 'Elfsborg' spēles godīgumu". delfi.lv.
11. (21 March 2014). ""Skonto" un Daugavpils "Daugava" saņem licences startam virslīgā". tvnet.lv.
12. DELFI. (24 October 2014). "Futbola spēļu sarunāšanas lietā viens apcietināts; klasificēts kā sevišķi smags noziegums". delfi.lv.