About RAF Jelgava

RAF Jelgava was a Latvian football club based in the city of Jelgava. The club was originally founded in 1988 and was named after the Riga Autobus Factory (RAF), which provided its main support. It quickly became one of the strongest teams in Latvian football during the final years of the Soviet period and the early years after Latvia regained independence.

During the late 1980s, RAF Jelgava achieved significant success, winning the Latvian SSR league titles in 1988 and 1989. After Latvia’s independence, the club continued to perform well in the national championship, regularly finishing near the top of the table and competing with the strongest teams in the country. It also won the Latvian Cup in 1993 and 1996, marking important achievements in its history.

In the mid-1990s, the club faced financial difficulties as its industrial sponsor weakened, leading to instability and eventual restructuring. RAF Jelgava was later reorganized and effectively ceased to exist in its original form by the end of the decade. Its legacy is often connected to later Jelgava-based clubs that continued football traditions in the city.