2002 Latvian Higher League
Latvian football league season for the highest division
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The 2002 season in the Latvian Higher League, named Virslīga, was the twelfth domestic competition since the Baltic nation gained independence from the Soviet Union on 6 September 1991. Eight teams competed in this edition, with Skonto FC claiming the title.
| Season | 2002 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Skonto FC |
| UEFA Champions League | Skonto FC |
| UEFA Cup | FK Ventspils FK Liepajas Metalurgs |
| UEFA Intertoto Cup | Dinaburg FC |
| Top goalscorer |  Mihails Miholaps (23 goals) |
← 2001 2003 → | |
Final table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Skonto (C) | 28 | 23 | 4 | 1 | 95 | 19 | +76 | 73 | Qualification for Champions League first qualifying round |
| 2 | Ventspils | 28 | 22 | 5 | 1 | 77 | 20 | +57 | 71 | Qualification for UEFA Cup qualifying round |
| 3 | Liepājas Metalurgs | 28 | 15 | 6 | 7 | 56 | 31 | +25 | 51 | |
| 4 | Dinaburg | 28 | 12 | 4 | 12 | 37 | 35 | +2 | 40 | Qualification for Intertoto Cup first round |
| 5 | Valmiera | 28 | 6 | 6 | 16 | 26 | 54 | −28 | 24 | |
| 6 | PFK Daugava (R) | 28 | 6 | 5 | 17 | 29 | 60 | −31 | 23 | Dissolved after the season |
| 7 | Rīga | 28 | 6 | 2 | 20 | 24 | 75 | −51 | 20 | |
| 8 | Auda | 28 | 5 | 2 | 21 | 23 | 73 | −50 | 17 |
Match table
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Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mihails Miholaps (LAT) | Skonto FC | 23 |
| 2 |  Aleksandr Katasonov (RUS) | FK Liepājas Metalurgs | 18 |
| 3 | Vīts Rimkus (LAT) | FK Ventspils | 17 |
| 4 | Jurijs Molotkovs (LAT) | Dinaburg FC | 16 |
| 5 | Yevgeniy Landyrev (RUS) | FK Ventspils | 15 |
| 6 | Andrejs Butriks (LAT) | FK Ventspils | 14 |
| Kristaps Grebis (LAT) | FK Liepājas Metalurgs | ||
| 8 | Viktors Dobrecovs (LAT) | FK Liepājas Metalurgs | 12 |
| 9 | Vladimirs Koļesņičenko (LAT) | Skonto FC | 11 |
Source: RSSSF[1]
Awards
| Best | Name | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Andrejs Piedels (LAT) | Skonto FC |
| Defender | Mihails Zemļinskis (LAT) | Skonto FC |
| Midfielder |  Orestas Buitkus (LTU) | Skonto FC |
| Forward | Māris Verpakovskis (LAT) | Skonto FC |
Source: [citation needed]