As usual, the president of “Žalgiris” expressed his thoughts on Facebook.
Here are A. Tapinas’ thoughts:
Believe – such a sign hung in the locker room of the famous “Ted Lasso” series team. A series about victories, defeats, and believing in your team.
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But that’s television. Beautiful naive television that creates the illusion that something incredibly good can happen if you believe. If you don’t lose hope even when only 9% remains.
In reality, it doesn’t happen like that. Especially in Lithuanian football, whose community is used to painful defeats and occasionally tough matches when something is lacking.
I came to football carrying hope. And wanting to give it to others. Always. Even when things don’t go well. Especially when things don’t go well. When everyone mocks our young goalkeeper who made a mistake.
Because we have nothing else. And nothing is more important than hope.
After the match in Tbilisi, I immediately wrote personally to almost every team player – that he is much better than he looked that evening, that he should not lose faith in himself, that nothing is lost yet and the club stands firmly behind them. And from their responses, I understood that anything can still happen here.
Yesterday morning I wrote about a miracle near Liepkalnis and the needed hurricane attack. Of course, I was mocked. Let them.
It was not a hurricane, it was a squall, typhoon, and tornado in one, which swept away the entire “Dinamo,” the disgustingly behaving Santos (by the way, the Georgian leaders immediately apologized for him during the break), and their future stars and sent them on a long journey home.
Where did “Žalgiris” get so much strength? Growing hope and self-belief is a huge thing. Whether it was the unstoppable Teixeira, the all-clearing Lupano, Šešplaukis bathing two defenders on the flanks, Franke diving with endless raids, the super-sub Michailović who needed only one touch, or the incredible Bilenkyi with Petković. And all the other players.
The entire “Žalgiris” left everything they could on the field and gave even more to the spectators.
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And the stadium did not fall short. The Georgian press still cannot understand how, after losing 0:3, the stadium can be filled. And perhaps indeed some of those present yesterday came out of respect and love for “Žalgiris” and wanting the European journey to end honorably.
But that hope was still somewhere. Without it, no way.
I believe in the team. I believe in the fans and community of Vilnius “Žalgiris.” My heart sings seeing both families and those old 90s “Žalgiris” supporters proudly returning to the stadium.
I believe that today a multitude of new people fell in love with football. Their own football. Our football. You are all welcome.
Children who want to be like Šešplaukis, Šarkauskas, or Golubickas in the future will flood the “Žalgiris” Academy. And they will drag their parents to the stadium.
TV3 should be quite satisfied with the time they decided to broadcast Lithuanian football at the best time, and I recommend everyone listen to how the commentators don’t just shout but scream.
And when I repeat once again that I believe I will hear the Champions League anthem in the new National Stadium, no one laughs loudly anymore.
Football in Lithuania is experiencing an incredible breakthrough. Now there is a chance we have never had during all the years of Independence. And we strengthen each other – yesterday I received congratulations from both Mantas Kalnietis and Mantas Agent, the day before I congratulated Mantas and Kaunas Žalgiris myself. On the field, we remain irreconcilable rivals; off the field, we work together for football.
Football statistics specialists give Vilnius “Žalgiris” a 16% chance to overcome the famous Split “Hajduk,” but I just smile – do you count that we won’t feel pressure, that we have nothing to lose, and that we have hope?
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And hope is a terrible thing.
