On Friday evening, in the heart of the national holiday week, with the Latvian flags flying high around Valmiera Olympic Center, Valmiera FC fans gathered at the football stadium to celebrate the season’s end with a friendly football match alongside their beloved players.
With spirited support from the stands and determined play on the pitch, the two teams—coached by Gatis Kalniņš (fans) and Oskars Kļava (players)—ended this balanced match in a draw, scoring six goals each. This meant only one thing: a penalty shootout. The shootout stretched on as referee Ivo Lakučs and his assistant Artūrs repeatedly ordered retakes of fan penalty attempts due to infringements by the player-team goalkeepers (Penkevics, Omori, and others), which even led to their dismissals. Once the referees had done their job and the decisive penalties were taken, jubilation erupted among the fans, who celebrated their meaningful victory.
After the game, a ceremony highlighted mutual respect and the spirit of sportsmanship. Two sets of medals and trophies awaited at the sideline. As a reminder, Valmiera FC had nine points deducted from their Tonybet Virsliga tally this season due to off-field issues, leaving them in fourth place. However, FK Auda, who officially secured third place, decided that the bronze medals and the trophy rightfully belonged to Valmiera. In accepting this gift, Valmiera’s team chose to pass it on as a token of gratitude to their incredible fans for their unwavering support throughout the season.
Presenting the gift, Valmiera FC club president Uldis Pūcītis said:
“There are seasons where club management does everything possible to organize every last detail, yet results on the pitch fail to materialize. During those times, management asks: Where are the medals? This year, the situation flipped—our players delivered brilliantly on the pitch, but management fell short. Now, the players are asking: Where are our medals? As for you, our fans, when we win, we celebrate together, and when we lose, we stand by each other in sorrow. In gratitude, we’ve all decided that you are the ones who truly deserve these medals and the trophy that was returned to us.”
Valmiera’s fans unanimously agreed to place the third-place Virsliga trophy in the collection at the “Strops” café, under the care of its owner, Valdis Veinbergs.
But the surprises didn’t end there. The fans had also prepared a gift for their team—a custom-made trophy and unique medals inscribed with the poignant message:
“Third place: won with hard work, lost in the fine print. The effort still counts!”
Explaining the idea, Guntars Indriksons, a Valmiera fan group representative, said:
“We deeply appreciated FK Auda’s gesture of handing over the bronze medals to our team. But even before we knew about their decision, we had resolved that if the points deduction and the final two games cost our players their rightful medals, we would present our own specially made ones. The players earned them on the pitch and in our hearts. We were also encouraged by our coach’s remarks in the final press conference, where he emphasized that the team played their game, not just for results. That’s exactly what we love about our team—their spirit and determination despite the season’s challenges, including financial struggles, mental pressures, and injuries that weakened our defense this year, unlike last year when our offense suffered. Above all, it’s always Valmiera!”
The evening concluded with a spirited “third half” at the Valmiera FC clubhouse, where players and fans bid each other farewell until the next season, ready to continue the enduring friendship they share.
Thank you again to everyone for whom Valmiera truly stands above all!
