The new floorball season is around the corner in many countries and in Latvia the women’s and men’s top leagues are scheduled to start during the same time as earlier, in the middle of September. Āris Aldiņš from the Latvian Floorball Union, gave some insights of the upcoming season in Latvia.
How is the preparation for the new season going in your country? How does it differ from last season?
– The preparations for the new season are not different from the previous years. Currently, there are no major restrictions on the training process of the teams although spectator restrictions are possible especially in the beginning of the season. Different safety protocols can be implemented for the matches for example, no shaking hands with the opponents.
Are there any winner favourites and major changes in the main leagues/among the teams?
– Both women’s and men’s ELVI Floorball Leagues will begin in the middle of September. In the Men’s League, there are no strong favourites. The league is very balanced and last season’s top nine teams won over half of their games. In total 12 teams will battle for the Latvian championship. One change for the teams is that last season’s 11th placed team “Ogres Vilki” will not play this season and they will be replaced by 1st Division winner RTU/Rockets. The team is a two-time Latvian champion in the past with another name – RTU/Inspecta. RTU/Inspecta won the IFF Euro Floorball Cup in 2011 and participated in the IFF Champions Cup in 2012. RTU/Rockets now return to the top league with their young team after three seasons in the lower leagues.
– In the women’s ELVI League, the winner favourite is the 12-time Latvian champion, Rubene. The team has won the last six titles.
Are there any interesting transfers, player news or other facts?
– One of the big transfers out of Latvia is the goalkeeper Roberts Trepšs who is leaving Rubene and transferring to the Norwegian Harstad IBK. Trepšs was awarded as the last season’s best goalkeeper.
How to follow the Latvian Floorball Leagues?
– The Latvian Floorball Leagues standings, match reports and statistics are found on www.floorball.lv (only in Latvian). Live-streaming will also be available on www.youtube.com/floorballtvlv and there are also game replays and highlights archives on the channel. Most streams will be from the Men’s league, but there will be some Women’s matches as well. The exact number of live-streamed matches is still unclear as negotiations with broadcasters are ongoing.
The IFF has asked all top 10 countries to provide a 2020-21 season preview of their top leagues. More season previews will be published on the IFF website soon. You want your floorball league or development stories to be featured on the IFF channels? Send your story to media(at)floorball.sport!
Source: Latvian Floorball Union
The IFF has asked all top 10 countries to provide a 2020-21 season preview of their top leagues. More season previews will be published on the IFF website soon. If you want your floorball league or development stories to be featured on the IFF channels you can send your story to media(at)floorball.sport!
