 | ||||
| Full name | Biedrība FC RFS[1] Futbola klubs RFS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2016; 9 years ago (2016) (predecessor FSK Daugava 90 founded in May 19, 2005; 20 years ago (May 19, 2005)) | |||
| Ground | LNK Sporta Parks | |||
| Capacity | 2,300 | |||
| Chairman | Artjoms Milovs | |||
| Manager | Viktors Morozs | |||
| League | Virslīga | |||
| 2025 | Virslīga, 2nd of 10 | |||
| Website | fkrfs.lv | |||
 Current season | ||||
FK RFS (alsoFC RFS) is a professionalLatvianfootball club based inRiga. The club competes in theVirslīga, the top tier ofLatvian football. It has existed in its current form since 2016, with predecessors dating back to 2005.
The team traditionally wears a blue home kit and a white away kit. After almost six years atJānis Skredelis Stadium, RFS moved its home matches toLNK Sporta Parks in 2022.
RFS has won the Latvian championship three times (2021,2023,2024) and theLatvian Cup three times (2019,2021,2024). In 2022, the club was namedBest Sports Club in Riga. That year, RFS became only the second Latvian club to qualify for the group stage of a European competition, followingFK Ventspils in2009–10, after defeatingLinfield in theUEFA Europa Conference League play-off. In January 2025, RFS recorded the first-ever victory by a Latvian club in a UEFA Europa League group stage, defeatingAjax in the Europa League.
Until 2003, the nucleus of the future club was a youth team of players born in 1990–91 underJFK Skonto, the academy ofFK Skonto, coached by Vladimirs Beļajevs. In 2003 Beļajevs and his players left to formFutbola sporta skola Daugava (FSK Daugava).
On 19 May 2005, the semi-professional clubFSK Daugava 90 was established, built around players born 1989–99. The team entered theLatvian First League in2007 and was renamedFK Daugava the following year. After winning promotion in 2008, they were relegated from theVirslīga in 2009.
Between 2009 and 2011 the club operated asRīgas futbola skola[2] (not connected with the Riga Football School academy founded in 1962).[3][4] The current legal entity,biedrība FC RFS, was registered on 9 September 2009.[2]
Rīgas futbola skola placed third in the1. līga in2015, just missing promotion. In 2016, following the revocation of Skonto FC’s licence, theLatvian Football Federation awarded its spot to the club, which rebranded asRFS and returned to the Virslīga.[5]
With limited preparation time, RFS recruited experienced players, includingRitus Krjauklis andAleksejs Višņakovs. The club finished sixth in2016, narrowly above the relegation play-off. Managerial changes led toJurijs Ševļakovs taking charge.
In2017, underAndrejs Kaļiņins, RFS addedAleksandrs Cauņa,Roberts Savaļnieks, andLasha Shergelashvili. Young strikerRoberts Uldriķis scored twice on his debut against championsJūrmalas Spartaks. The team finished fifth, just short of European qualification.
Valdas Dambrauskas was appointed head coach in December 2017. RFS placed third in2018, securing European qualification for the first time. The team’s attacking style featured 57 goals in 28 matches.
In2019, strong transfers includedTomáš Šimkovič,Slavko Blagojević, and strikerDarko Lemajič. RFS finished runners-up in the league and won theLatvian Cup, the club’s first major trophy. Their European debut ended in the first qualifying round against Olimpija Ljubljana.
In2020 Dambrauskas departed forHNK Gorica, with assistantViktors Morozs taking over. RFS finished second again in a COVID-affected season, with Brazilian loaneeEmerson finishing top scorer.
RFS strengthened withEmerson,Tomislav Šarić, and others. In Europe, they eliminatedKlaksvíkar Ítróttarfelag andPuskás Akadémia before falling toKAA Gent. Domestically, RFS won both theLatvian Cup and their firstVirslīga title, achieving a domestic double.
RFS debuted in theChampions League qualifiers, losing toHJK Helsinki and dropping into theEuropa Conference League. After eliminatingHibernians andLinfield, they reached the group stage, only the second Latvian club ever to do so.
In the league, RFS slipped to third, and lost theLatvian Cup final toFK Auda. In Europe, they drew againstFiorentina andIstanbul Başakşehir but finished bottom of their group.
RFS legally changed its name toFC RFS in May 2023. Despite an unbeaten start, they trailedRiga FC for much of theseason. On the final day, RFS overtook their rivals to claim a secondVirslīga championship. They were eliminated from European qualifiers bySabah FK.
In 2024 RFS defeatedLarne andUE Santa Coloma in qualifiers, eventually reaching theUEFA Europa League group stage after defeatingAPOEL.[6][7] On 23 January 2025, they beatAjax 1–0, marking the first Latvian win in a UEFA group-stage match.[8][9]
RFS initially played at multiple venues before settling atJānis Skredelis Stadium (2016–2022). Since mid-2022 they have been based atLNK Sporta Parks, a modern complex built by LNK Properties. The facility has two natural grass pitches, three artificial fields, and training grounds. Selected European matches are played atSkonto Stadium orDaugava Stadium.[10]
RFS share a fierce rivalry withRiga FC, with both clubs emerging as dominant forces since 2016. Each has won three league titles. The derby is the most attended fixture in Latvian club football, averaging around 3,000 spectators.
The 2022 documentary seriesFight for the Dream 22′, directed byRimvydas Čekavičius, followed RFS during their2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League campaign. The six-part series depicted both on- and off-field moments from their historic European run.
| Competition | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Champions League | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 14 | –1 |
| UEFA Europa League | 14 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 17 | 16 | +1 |
| UEFA Conference League | 20 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 28 | 29 | −1 |
| Total | 44 | 14 | 8 | 22 | 58 | 59 | –1 |
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away | Agg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | UEFA Europa League | 1QR |  Olimpija Ljubljana | 0–2 | 3–2 | 3–4 |
| 2020–21 | UEFA Europa League | 1QR |  Partizan | — | 0–1 | — |
| 2021–22 | UEFA Conference League | 1QR |  KÍ | 2–3 | 4–2 (a.e.t.) | 6–5 |
| 2QR |  Puskás Akadémia | 3–0 | 2–0 | 5–0 | ||
| 3QR |  Gent | 0–1 | 2–2 | 2–3 | ||
| 2022–23 | UEFA Champions League | 1QR |  HJK | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | 0–1 | 2–2(4–5p) |
| UEFA Conference League | 3QR |  Hibernians | 1–1 | 3–1 | 4–2 | |
| PO |  Linfield | 2–2 | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | 3–3(4–2p) | ||
| GS |  Başakşehir | 0–0 | 0–3 | 4th | ||
 Fiorentina | 0–3 | 1–1 | ||||
 Hearts | 0–2 | 1–2 | ||||
| 2023–24 | UEFA Conference League | 1QR |  Makedonija GP | 4–1 | 1–0 | 5–1 |
| 2QR |  Sabah | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–4 | ||
| 2024–25 | UEFA Champions League | 1QR | Larne | 3–0 | 4–0 | 7–0 |
| 2QR |  Bodø/Glimt | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–7 | ||
| UEFA Europa League | 3QR |  UE Santa Coloma | 7–0 | 2–0 | 9–0 | |
| PO |  APOEL | 2–1 | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | 3–3(4–2p) | ||
| LP |  Ajax | 1–0 | — | 32nd | ||
 Eintracht Frankfurt | — | 0–1 | ||||
 PAOK | 0–2 | — | ||||
 Maccabi Tel Aviv | — | 1–2 | ||||
| Galatasaray | 2–2 | — | ||||
 Dynamo Kyiv | — | 0–1 | ||||
| Anderlecht | 1–1 | — | ||||
 FCSB | — | 1–4 | ||||
| 2025–26 | UEFA Champions League | 1QR |  FCI Levadia | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 |
| 2QR |  Malmö FF | 1–4 | 0–1 | 1–5 | ||
| UEFA Europa League | 3QR | KuPS | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–3 | |
| UEFA Conference League | PO | Hamrun Spartans | 2–2 | 0–1 | 2–3 | |
| 2026–27 | UEFA Conference League | 1QR |
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 123 | KRC Genk | 13.000 |
| 124 | Cercle Brugge K.S.V. | 12.750 |
| 125 |  FK RFS | 12.500 |
| 126 |  Servette FC | 12.500 |
| 127 |  FC Astana | 12.500 |
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Viktors Morozs |
| Assistant coach | Vladimirs Žavoronkovs |
| Goalkeeping coach |  Anton Savchenkov |
| Fitness coach | Oļegs Semjonovs |
| Sports therapist | Dmitrijs Jefremenkovs, Rihards Ūdris |
| Technical analyst | Iļja Ščaņicins |
| Head of media & communications |  Paulius Jakelis |
| Photographer | Sanita Ieva Sparāne |
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| President | Artjoms Milovs |
| General director | Māris Verpakovskis |
| Director of football | Aleksandrs Usovs |
| Executive director | Nikolajs Kulmanakovs |
| Team administrator | Kirils Butovskis |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)