Skonto Rīga
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| Full name | Skonto Football Club |
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| Founded | 15 December 1991 as Forums-Skonto |
| Ground | Skonto Stadium, Riga |
| Capacity | 10,000 |
| Manager | Viktors Morozs (interim) |
| League | Latvian First League |
| 2016 | 8th |
| Website | Club home page |
Skonto FC is a Latvian football club, founded in 1991. The club plays at the Skonto Stadium in Riga. Skonto won the Virsliga in the first 14 seasons of the league's resumption (15 in total), and often provides the core of the Latvia national football team. With those 14 national championships in a row, they set a European record, men and women's football combined, until the women of KÍ Klaksvík won their 14th championship in row in 2013. Despite the financial struggle during the last few years, Skonto is still regarded as the flagship of Latvian and also Baltic football.
Skonto FC was founded in 1991. Starting from its very beginnings the club won the Latvian championship 14 seasons in a row, and only in 2005 finished second after FK Liepājas Metalurgs. In 2006, Skonto finished third in a close contest with FK Liepājas Metalurgs and FK Ventspils. Skonto FC have won the Latvian Cup on eight occasions, acquiring the Cup most recently in 2012.
Skonto FC was by no means among the favorites in the first years after its establishment, and the champion’s title had to be won in a fierce competition both with FK Olimpija from Liepāja and RAF Jelgava – even then an additional game was required since the regular championship in 1992 was insufficient to determine the winner of the season. In the same 1992 season, Skonto FC made its debut in the Champion’s League by beating the Faroe Islands champions Klaksvíkar Ítróttarfelag. After the season, a coach replacement was made and Aleksandrs Starkovs took over from Marks Zahodins.
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