FK VENTSPILS

'FK Ventspils' is a Latvian Virsliga football team. The club's home ground is the 3,200 capacity Ventspils Olimpiskais Stadions in Ventspils, Latvia. In total, FK Ventspils have won one league titles and three Latvian Cups. During the 2006 season, they became Virsliga champions.

Contents

History

Current squad

First-team squad

Reserves squad

Famous players

Managers

Honours

Participation in UEFA cups

Participation in Latvian Championships

External link

References

History

FK Ventspils was founded in 1997, but of course football was played a lot before this year in Baltic seaside city Ventspils. Football team from Ventspils first time got the champions title in Latvia in 1969, when the name of the team was "Venta". Elder fans of football still remember that great year in Ventspils, also team "Venta" representative Arijs Smerlings.
In 1963 Ventspils in tough matches got a place and rights to play in Latvian championship Virsliga. Next large achievement for "Venta" was in 1967, when tem got Latvian Cup. Team got stronger and in 1969 "Venta" was a gold team – champions. "Venta" got 43 points, 20 matches won, 3 drew and 3 lost that year. Loses were only in away matches, so the fans of Ventspils were not upset.
New modern club FK Ventspils history starts in 1997, when it was founded near river Venta in the Latvian region Kurzeme city with 45 000 inhabitants. In 2007 club celebrates its first decade. During this time FK Ventspils turned to be one of strongest Latvian clubs and got champions title in 2006 LMT Virslīga season.
Before that in 2003 FK Ventspils for the first time got Latvian Cup. Also in 2004 and in 2005 FK Ventspils got the trophy, but had only silver or bronze medals in Latvian first division championship Virsliga. Finally in 2006 head coach from Ukraine Roman Grigorshuk took the team to the highest platform in award ceremony and gold medals. Before him, team was leaded by Russian coach Boris Sinicin, coach from England Paul Anthony Ashworth, Lithuanian coach Šauļus Širmalis and local coach from Latvia Sergejs Semjonovs.
FK Ventspils has written its word also in UEFA Cup history. Debute came in Intertoto in 1999, when FK Ventspils in two matches turned out to win Norwegian famous club Vålerenga. After that FK Ventspils participated only in UEFA Cup, presenting such great matches for FK Ventspils supporters as against German ''VfB Stuttgart'', Norwegian ''Rosenborg B.K.'', Danish ''Brøndby IF'' and English ''Newcastle F.C.''. Draw in away match against ''Newcastle'' (0:0) could be called as highest FK Ventspils achievement after LMT Virslīga 2006 gold medal. Also ''Brøndby'' was hit by FK Ventspils players and Danish club didn’t continue UEFA Cup tournament in 2004.
Finally in 2007 FK Ventspils yellow and blue or white uniforms will be seen in UEFA Champions League pitches.

Current squad

First-team squad

''As of August 7, 2007''

Reserves squad

Famous players

★ Vits Rimkus

★ Vladimirs Koļesņičenko

★ Māris Smirnovs

★ Igors Korabļovs

★ Kaspars Gorkss

Managers

''Figures correct as of July 19 2007''.

★ 1997-1998 Sergei Borovski

★ 1998 Sauļus Cekanavičus

★ 1999-2000 Boris Sinicin

★ 2000 Sauļus Cekanavičus

★ 2001-2003 Paul Ashworth

★ 2003-2004 Sauļus Širmelis

★ 2005 Sergejs Semjonovs

★ 2005- Roman Grigorshuk

Honours

★ 'Virsliga winners'

★
★ 2006

★ 'Virsliga runners-up'

★
★ 2000, 2001, 2002

★ 'Latvian Cup winners'

★
★ 2003, 2004, 2005

Participation in UEFA cups

'UEFA Champions League' ★ '2007' ★ ★ First Qualifying Round ★ ★ ★ Jul 17 The New Saints F.C. (TNS) (Wales) 2:3 ★ ★ ★ Jul 25 The New Saints F.C. 2:1 ★ ★ Second Qualifying Round ★ ★ ★ Aug 01 FC Red Bull Salzburg (Austria) 0:3 ★ ★ ★ Aug 08 FC Red Bull Salzburg 0:4

'UEFA cup' ★ '2006' ★ ★ First Qualifying Phase ★ ★ ★ Jul 13 GÍ Gøta (Faroe Islands)2:1 ★ ★ ★ Jul 27 GÍ Gøta 2:0 ★ ★ Second Qualifying Phase ★ ★ ★ Aug 10 Newcastle United (England) 0:1 ★ ★ ★ Aug 24 Newcastle United 0:0 ★ '2005' ★ ★ First Qualifying Phase ★ ★ ★ Jul 14 Linfield (Northern Ireland) 0:1 ★ ★ ★ Jul 28 Linfield 2:1 ★ '2004' ★ ★ First Qualifying Phase ★ ★ ★ Jul 15 B68 (Toftir) (Faroe Islands) 3:0 ★ ★ ★ Jul 29 B68 (Toftir) 8:0 ★ ★ Second Qualifying Phase ★ ★ ★ Aug 12 Brøndby IF (Denmark) 0:0 ★ ★ ★ Aug 26 Brøndby IF 1:1 ★ ★ First Round ★ ★ ★ Sep 16 Amica Wronki (Poland) 1:1 ★ ★ ★ Sep 30 Amica Wronki 0:1 ★ '2003' ★ ★ Qualifying Phase ★ ★ ★ Aug 14 Wisła Płock (Poland) 1:1 ★ ★ ★ Aug 28 Wisła Płock 2:2 ★ ★ First Round ★ ★ ★ Sep 24 Rosenborg BK (Trondheim) (Norway) 1:4 ★ ★ ★ Oct 15 Rosenborg BK (Trondheim) 0:6 ★ '2002' ★ ★ Qualifying Phase ★ ★ ★ Aug 15 FC Lugano (Switzerland) 3:0 ★ ★ ★ Aug 29 FC Lugano 0:1 ★ ★ First Round ★ ★ ★ Sep 19 VfB Stuttgart (Germany) 1:4 ★ ★ ★ Oct 03 VfB Stuttgart 1:4 ★ '2001' ★ ★ Qualifying Phase ★ ★ ★ Aug 09 HJK Helsinki (Finland) 1:2 ★ ★ ★ Aug 23 HJK Helsinki 0:1 ★ '2000' ★ ★ Qualifying Phase ★ ★ ★ Aug 10 Vasas (Budapest) (Hungary) 2:1 ★ ★ ★ Aug 24 Vasas (Budapest) 1:3

'UEFA Intertoto Cup' ★ '1999' ★ ★ Round 1 ★ ★ ★ Jun 19 Vålerenga IF (Norway) 0:1 ★ ★ ★ Jun 26 Vålerenga IF 2:0 ★ ★ Round 2 ★ ★ ★ Jul 03 Kocaelispor (Turkey) 1:1 ★ ★ ★ Jul 10 Kocaelispor 0:2

Participation in Latvian Championships

★ 2006 - 'champions'

★ 2005 - 3rd

★ 2004 - 3rd

★ 2003 - 3rd

★ 2002 - 2nd

★ 2001 - 2nd

★ 2000 - 2nd

★ 1999 - 3rd

★ 1998 - 3rd

★ 1997 - 4th

External link

★ Official website

References