[6] Riga was appointed the manager with a contract until the end of the 2013–14 season; the main task was to avoid relegation.

With so few players, no assistant or backroom staff appointed, and the squad due to report back on 30 June, Riga had to delay the start of pre-season training.

[11] On 9 July it was confirmed that, with still just eight players at the club, Riga had three backroom staff, all of whom had agreed to start working the previous week but had still not signed contracts.

[13] On 17 July, having already cancelled a pre-season trip to Spain to focus on signings, it was claimed that Riga's future was even more uncertain following reports of a dispute with the chairman over transfer policy.

[14] Two days later Blackpool played a friendly away against Northern League Division One side Penrith, fielding five triallists in the starting line-up with two more on the substitutes bench and with just six fit registered players, the rest of the match day squad was made up of youth team players.

Then after the match it was reported that when the media requested to speak with Riga, he had told his staff and players not to give any interviews.

[16] On 2 February 2015, Riga returned to Standard Liège in Belgium, where he was re-appointed manager following Ivan Vukomanović's departure.

Riga was appointed head coach at Cercle Brugge in the Belgian First Division B on 1 November 2016 but was sacked in October 2017.