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Football (Soccer) in Lithuania

When one French journalist saw a full basketball arena (where “Lietuvos rytas” fought in ULEB cup semifinals) close to an empty stadium (where a Baltic Football League match took place) he published an article that Lithuania is a land where “the king of sports” has to live in basketball’s shadow.

In reality, the popularity of football is on the rise and the very few games that are on par in terms of quality with the ULEB cup semifinals also attract full stadiums as well as a TV following. This craze is mostly imported from other European nations, such as England, where many Lithuanians emigrated since the country has joined the European Union in 2004.

However, very unlike basketball, Lithuanian football is weak. The national team never even qualified at the European Championships let alone the World Cup. In football the element of luck is bigger than is basketball, therefore there were times when the Lithuanians scored draw against major teams such as Germany, Italy or Spain. However, defeats to the likes of the Faroe Islands or Liechtenstein soon afterward dash the hopes of Lithuanian fans and decrease the popularity of football.

Football clubs of Lithuania attract less funding than their basketball counterparts and so they are weak, relying on Lithuanian players and foreigners who didn’t manage to get a hold into their national leagues. Not a single Lithuanian team ever took part in main stages of the Champions’ League or the UEFA Cup. Moreover, the Lithuanian national football league (“A lyga”) is frequently dipped into scandals of betting fraud. “Panevėžio Ekranas” from Panevėžys long dominated this league in the early 2010s, amassing a yearly budget of 2 million Euro (yes, this was the richest football club in Lithuania). “FBK Kaunas” used to prevail in the 1990s and 2000s (both the Kaunas and Panevėžys teams were eventually expelled from the league in 2009 and 2015 respectively, because of debts and controversies). “Vilniaus Žalgiris” was the best Lithuanian team in the 1980s and still has a larger fan base than other Lithuanian football clubs. It has recently returned to prominence, dominating the league once again in the 2010s.

Vilnius Žalgiris ultras sector during a 2013 season game. These are the most numerous football ultras in Lithuania. ©Augustinas Žemaitis.

Some of the major football clubs, including both FBK Kaunas and Žalgiris, are or were owned by controversial Russian businessmen whose irregular investments brought the clubs to the verge of collapse at one time or another. Vilniaus Žalgiris was saved only by its fans establishing an alternative club under the same name. In 2009 the A lyga was rejuvenated by accepting numerous clubs from minor towns (less than 20 000 inhabitants) that did not meet the official criteria but were arguably managed more transparently, such as "Banga" from Gargždai or "Kruoja" from Pakruojis.

Unable to see quality football in the local stadiums many fans follow leagues like England’s Premier League on TV (or, of course, the European Championships and the FIFA World Cup). The stadiums, which are not as modern as in the Western Europe, are thus left to the ultras. In the fields, however, football is a popular pastime.

Lithuania's largest stadium (S. Darius and S. Girėnas stadium in Žaliakalnis borough of Kaunas) has 9180 seats, while in general "A lyga" stadiums have some 1500-4000 seats each. Seating is typically only on a single side of the stadium and the football field is combined with an athletics track. Even these stadiums get full only during some national team games and rare matches against powerful Western European teams that usually end the UEFA tournament qualification bids of Lithuanian clubs.

An A lyga football game (Žalgiris vs. Sudūva of Marijampolė, 2013) in Lithuania's most modern stadium (renovated by the Football federation in 2011). The national team now plays its home games here as well. ©Augustinas Žemaitis.

Should you wish to see a football game in Lithuania take note that unlike in some Western leagues the Lithuanian season is held in summer (i.e. from spring to autumn) with a rest period in winter due to harsh weather. In addition to the top "A lyga" there are lower tiers known as "I lyga" and "II lyga".

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  1. hello. I’m ebrahim gholami(male 57 years old, football couch no diploma football academi. but I know very good football.I am No.1 in teach and make team 10years until 20years). I have 2boy(9 and 15 years old).My boy(9 years) is very good technic and technical football player that I know he will be best player in world !?! because had very sport talent !?!he is playmaker and forward.he work jiminastic for football !?! My boy (15 years) is goalkeaper(190 cm long now). if he exercise to cants be best goalkeaper because have goodbody and good hand for goalkeaper. I and my family want go to the LITHUANIA country for life for usual, yes usual !.. for we come that we haven,t problem. we can to come to the your country(LITHUAIA). only I want to know that we can to havebeen normal or good life(live) in the Lithuania ? I can to make best football teams for LITHUANIA !?! No.1 in EUROP and WORLD !!!! because I have talent and you have very player. I make.I make! for me send information about life and economic life and work and football clubs and wich city is good for life and football please. I havebeen happy if you send to information . with I wish best for YOU… good bye. EBRAHIM GHOLAMI 57years old. see you in LITHUANIA that your country is My country…. good bye

    • I am waiting ( EBRAHIM GHOLAMI ) answer me please. please. LITHUANIA makes best football team by with me.. No. 1 football team as 12years until 35 years old national team in EUROP and WORD !!!!! good bye merci merci merci bye bye

    • I’m interested to join your team Sir, kindly contact me on Phone:00919604485521, Email:austylo@ymail.com, Facebook:STYLO AUSTINE

  2. I like LITHUANIA . we com to your country LITHUANIA . MY team is LITHUANIA football team. is no.1

  3. Good evening. I am currently looking at coming to Lithuania to set up some soccer camps for Easter and summer camps. We are a world named soccer academy and our coaches are english premier league coaches and scouts. Do you know if there would be much interest from the children of Lithuania would be interested in a 3 or 5 day soccer camp. I’m just trying g to see if there would be much interest.

    Thank you for reading.
    Mark

    • I personally think there could be interest – however, a lot depends on marketing and price. As for the price, Lithuanian salaries are generally smaller than those in the UK and thus the labor-intensive services, including teaching, tend to be much cheaper on average.

      • Hi Augustinas, thank you for your reply. I agree that the cost of living is less than the UK but our prices would reflect their standard of living. Would I need to go directly to LFF or should I just contact various centres that would have football facilities and ask them to put our advert on there websites or paper copies on their walls for the public to see. Would you have any suggestions or advise of how to promote our holiday soccer academy camp.

        • Dear Sir, with all respect and regards, my name is Augustine from Nigeria but I’m currently in India. I have been wanting to join any of the Lithuanian football team because I’m a very strong talented football player and also like the Lithuania country in general. I’m 21 years old, 210cm tall. Please Sir kindly contact me on the following contacts below. Email:austylo@ymail.com, Phone: 00919604485521. Facebook: STYLO AUSTINE. Thanks, looking forward to your kind response Sir.

        • I think all ways are possible – to maximize the potential you should contact the LFF, football clubs and centers. Some of them may agree to advertise for free on their websites, for example. Paid advertisements in magazines and websites that potential clients would visit may also help (if the budget allows). A press release should be e-mailed to Lithuanian magazines / newspapers / related websites – if written interestingly enough they may put it on without payment.

    • Very attractive idea.
      Hope you try your best to visit Egypt.
      There are a lot of ideas and talents and supportars.
      Interesting to get reply from your side on montosportsinvestment@gmail.com.

  4. I need your assistant to help my brother career,my brother is a very good sticker and he is very talented player that you will need in a team,he is from Nigeria but he is presently in dubai now.I will be very happy if u can help him to get a team over there.email. thanks. bayo700@yahoo.com

  5. hello sir, am Ali from Ghana a young talented soccer player, am 17 years ,interesting to play in Lithuania, but have no any contact there, with du respect sir, if you can help me out, contact me on ali.mamud55@yahoo.com, what’s app on 22791068373 call on 22789314923 , hope to here from you soon

  6. sir i am from Cameroon a goal keeper who have been playing for 7 years with second division teams, i am my 3 colleague will like to joint your team we are very determine in life for more information and to get our cv pls just contact us on the email princelovela@yahoo.com we will pay our flight our self to come and show you our skills

  7. hello sir am okechukwu by name from Nigeria am a young talented utility player, am much interested to play in any good team in Lithuania … thanks.. my email is jonahfank8@gmail.com….

  8. Hello sir, i m eribo Freedom ota from nigeria, i have the zeal to play football, i am a young and talented footballer willing and ready to give everything in the field of play…. Please contact me 08168071537 and Freedomeribo@gmail . com thanks

  9. Hello Augustinas Žemaitis,

    I am grateful I came across your article on football in Lithuania as I cam currently writing my master thesis in VDU. I will like to ask you a few more questions concerning football and the possibilities for the growth of this beautiful sport in Lithuania.

    Thank you

    • You may write those questions here and I’ll try to do my best to answer them.

      • Hello Augustinas, my question is how basketball became so popular in this region while leaving football way behind? Has there ever been any financial injection into football in LT from an external/internal source? What do you think will be the major possibility of growth for football in LT and also the necessary steps that could be taken?

        Aciu Labai

        • Basketball first came to prominence in the 1930s. It was popularized by returning Lithuanian-Americans. There were hundred of thousands Lithuanian-Americans at the time as Lithuania was among the countries where emigration to the USA was the most popular ~1900. And, as you know, football (soccer) is not popular in the USA, but basketball is. As Lithuania won European championships in 1937 and 1939 (the 1939 event was held in Kaunas), the position of basketball was soldified.

          This situation continued into the Soviet occupation, when Lithuania was not allowed to have a national team of its own. At the time, Soviet national basketball team still often had many Lithuanians, leading Lithuanians to care for it more (the same was not true for other Soviet national teams, including football, where Lithuanians were rare).

          Additionally, Kaunas “Žalgiris” basketball club and its battles versus CSKA Moscow became a kind of political statement (i.e. “occupied Lithuania vs. Russia”). This was the only major team sport where Lithuanians could fight on equal basis with a much larger Russian nation, leading to its increased popualrity.

          The situation continued after the independence of Lithuania, when basketball was understood as the prime means to tell the world about Lithuania. Indeed, in 1992 Olympics Lithuania earned the 3rd place (bronze medals). Similar achievemets in football or any other major team sport were unachievable, while such achievements in “minor” individual sports (e.g. athletics or swimming) would not attract similar attention worldwide.

          More can be read here: http://www.truelithuania.com/basketball-in-lithuania-33

          Football receives prominent Financial injections from FIFA/UEFA under the regular rules whereby the clubs and national teams are awarded significant sums for pariticipating in games, even qualifying games. Also, income is made from abroad by selling TV rights to such games to foreign TV stations and some incoming “football tourists” who buy tickets to games against their teams.

          As football is more popular than basketball in the Western Europe, where the countries ar richer, such injections and income from foreign sources is thus more significant for football than basketball. That said, locally, the Lithuanian basketball attracts more money than Lithuanian football, both from sponsors and from the state (the state generally supports Lithuanian sport in a neutral way, meaning that the best-performing teams attract more state money, which is evaluated based on the number of international victories; Lithuanian basketball teams have far more victories than football teams and thus more state funding).

          In my opinion, the growth has been happening mainly because of the reasons specified above (more financial support from the foreign sources), as well as because most current Lithuanian emigrants go to countries where football is more popular than basketball (UK, Norway). That said, like previously, achievements are important. Without significant achievements, football could enjoy only a limited popularity, in my opinion, as failed participation in qualification does not bring as much attention as success in major tournaments.

          If there are two options, to follow a sport where your team plays “world class” and has a chance of winning (i.e. Lithuanian basketball) and a sport where your team plays below mediocre and has no chances at all (save for an occasional “surprise draw”, like with the Lithuanian football), people typically choose the 1st choice. Even the local football fans often watch foreign games instead, taking comparatively little interest in the Lithuanian football scene.

          However, it is not that easy to imporve achievements of a not-very-popular-sport. Sporty Lithuanian boys often choose basketball over football (as it is more popular), putting their talents there. Moreover, statistically Lithuanian people are among the tallest in the world. This is a great asset for basketball, but not football.

        • Very great qeustions.
          Respect.

  10. Hello Augustina Zemaitis, compliments. I appreciate the insight you have provided on this thread, so far. I have plans of building workable relationship with ready clubs in Lithuania towards developing the game of football through our football club and academy in Nigeria.

    Kindly advice me on how to reach out to clubs in Lithuania to pass on my proposal.

    Thanks in advance.

  11. Hi Augustinas Zemaitis,your indepth analysis in your editorial in reference to Luthuania football’ s quite interesting….Thus, on focus point!’Am inddeed,so impressed by your work.Keep the spark up!Cl ement IfeanyiChukwu from Nigeria.

  12. good day sir my name is njong derrick and I am from Cameroon I am a very talented player,I don’t like to brag on myself I like to show it on the pitch if u could help me to archive my dreams I will be very grateful l love Lithuania and their soccer league I am 23yrs old didimarvelous@gmail.com and my number is +237680410456..sir I will be very grateful if you contact me thanks

  13. Labas Augustinas, I currently live in the United States, but I was born in Lithuania. I’m trying to see if I am able to a combine or a tryout to see if I could make the U-17 Youth Lithuanian National team. I have some reputation already here in the U.S. by playing on an Academy team, and winning the Nationals Cup. I’m open to suggestions or recommendations on how to contact anyone with knowledge on how to approach this.
    Ačiū labai, Tomas Dovidaitis

    • Labas. It would be the best to contact the appropriate authorities of Lithuanian football. That is, primarily, the head coach of the U-17 team (who is instrumental in selecting the roster) – the current coach is Audrius Statkevičius.

      You may also contact other representatives of the Lithuanian football federation to let them know about yourself and your willingness to play for a Lithuanian national team. At first, you may write e-mails (preferably in Lithuanian, although many people would understand English as well) but it may be a good idea to also call (especially if the e-mails would be not replied in a week or so).

      If you wouldn’t find the contacts of the key people (especially the coach) online, you may ask for those contacts when calling the other people at the Lithuanian Football Federation. I can see his (coach’s) contacts online but I am not sure if they are newest ones.

      It is useful, before any calls, to prepare the answers to the questions they may ask: when did you start to play soccer, where have you played, what were your results, what were your positions, statistics, how do you plan to play for the Lithuanian team if you live in the USA (as nearly all games would be in Europe), etc.

      • Hello Sir Augustinas… My name is Daniel Monteagudo I am an attacking left winger I don’t currently have a team I am in Nigeria, I have been following your teams and I appreciate the style of football you guys play, I believe I can be an asset to any of your teams and I would love an opportunity to join team training for week to showcase myself thank you

  14. Am 17,I live in Malaysia.. I play LW, am very fast attacker. Also have a great speed, I have played for some local teams and they assured me that am very talented. Since then no scout or any body has sponsored me.. I wish any one seeing this will make my dreams come true. I can come for 2weeks trials, if am not good as I proclaimed then you send e back. But if I really impress your club then you sign me. I won’t complain nor fugiate if am not picked, just need a trials. Please reply to me. @I_am_kaka7

  15. I’m Kattah by name,a Defensive Midfielder from Ghana and I’m 18 years of age willing to join any of your yourth team in Lithuania and i know there well not be any doubt when am giving the chance to join and of your youth club team. In Ghana here, we are more talented but all is about how much money your parents have. I will be glad to here from you if you are interested in me. Kattahseth50@gmail.com
    That’s my email address sir.

    THANK YOU SIR.

  16. I LIKE LITHUANIA SOCCER. I AM A NIGERIA FROM IBADAN-OYO STATE.AND I AM A FOOTBALL/SOCCER CONSULTANT AND SOCCER TOURS OPERATOR.

  17. KB FOOTBALL CONCEPTS IS A FOOTBALL/SOCCER TOURS COMPANY BASED IN IBADAN-OYO STATE-NIGERIA.WE ORGANIZE SOCCER TOURS PACKAGE TO LITHUANIA.

  18. KB football concepts kindly drop me a message on my gmail account oketoyeadegboyega4@gmail.com. Am interested in knowing your office in Ibadan. WhatsApp no:08132264484

    • This is Chala from Ethiopia, I will be 18 on 1st August 2020. I can say I am 18 now. I mainly can play as an attacking midfielder also central midfielder. I played for abyssinia academy between 2014 and 16, I left the academy due to education. I went to Ghana and played for my international college for 2 years from 2018 to 20 and won 2 cups which is really good for the college but now I am currently in Ethiopia looking for clubs around the world and honestly I don’t want to play for Ethiopian leagues because my level is higher and I believe I deserve more in addition to the corruption in Ethiopian football.

      I really have a big interest to be soccer player and I don’t know how to express the feeling I have for soccer. I was in a soccer project when I was 12 in Ethiopia but My mom forced me to focus on education. So I went to Ghana to do IB where we won as a college 2 cups against other IB schools. My position is mainly attacking midfielder but I can also play as central midfielder and right midfielder.

      In addition, my coach and teammates in Ghana told me to join Bayern Munich academy in Ethiopia but I know that Ethiopian soccer is full of corruption so I didn’t want that and I’m applying this because of a flop in my IB grades. The only way I can stand again is through soccer that I love. I’m writing this because I saw your information that you are looking for players also I don’t have enough cash to fly to England or/and other countries for soccer trials and play for teams there. So I ask for help if you can do it or consult others for helping me to travel and afford to play in trials, Soccer trials are in July, August, and September in different country leagues. But I can’t afford to go and participate in the trials. In addition most leagues ask for videos the I don’t have sadly so it seems like I don’t have chance but I am still trying my best.

      This is my chance to change my life and to live for what I love. I hope you will help me and I am determined to follow my dream.

      Thank You.

      Chala

  19. I am Thabo 21 year’s of age wishing to play abroad from South Africa playing semi professional playing Wright wing or wing back got pace good in dribbling n defensive n i am TACTICAL and technical good

  20. Good day, My name is Gad Horsfall from Nigeria, currently in turkey for my Masters degree program, I’m also a talented midfielder who can play a variety of positions from defensive midfielder to attacking midfield 8/10/4 I have a strong upper and lower body, I’m also technically astute player blessed with strength, I just want to actualize my dream of playing professional football, please I would need your assistance on getting the proper platform to make my dreams come through, thanks …

  21. i m prince i wish to discuss with u m currently in dubai nd i want send my brother over to find his dream

  22. Hello to everyone i am HBoimah DDakawah, football is my dream and i want to extend it to europe. I hear alot of lithuania and i want to start from there if am giving the chance. by the grace of GOD if am giving the chance of playing professional football i will play to attract my teammate, coaches, and fans. please great football lover help us fulfill our dream of playing at the top level.

  23. Labas, Matas Sumskas and i’m very interested to play for your club, i’m originally from Lithuania so i would understand even more however i live in UK right now is it still possible for me to join this club? my positions are playing midfield or on the wing.

    aciu labai
    Matas Sumskas

  24. hello my name is rameez ahmad currently i am in kaunas i really wanna join club so i could play football my love for football is more than i have ever imagined

  25. Ladies and Gentle men am Surpass Akpan by name am from Nigeria , am 23years old am a football coach with lot of experience in grass root coaching and have worked with various academies here in my country am young and talented without wasting much time Ladies and Gentle men please give me a chance to put Lithuania in the European footballing world let’s have teams over there play the ufea champions league you can reach me on Whatsapp+2348163074286 or Gmail akpankuseme24@gmail.com

  26. Hi I have young talented left footer,position:CB,ready for trials ,we can reached directly on chima1980m@live.com for his CV.

  27. I am looking for a club that partner with me in lithuania, I have a football academy in Nigéria with a lot of good players in any area in field. I need club that can partner with me.


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