However, by the end of the evening, few cared about that. Having defeated Klaksvik KI from the Faroe Islands 1:0 in the two-legged tie, “Kauno Žalgiris” advanced to the main stage of the European cups for the first time.
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While the Kaunas stadium awaits Mr. “Worldwide,” the Kaunas football club, in a packed stadium and in the presence of two of the country’s most important figures, Gitanas Nausėda and Mindaugas Sinkevičius, cautiously but very emotionally opened the doors to the wider world.
Even if they lose in the third qualifying round of the Champions League, the Kaunas team would move to the Europa League knockout stage, and in case of failure there, they would enter the main stage of the Conference League. In other words, “Kauno Žalgiris” will not fall below this level. In the autumn, they will face at least six European matches.
This is a threshold that Lithuanian clubs have been striving for many years, banging their heads against it, counting missed goals, cursing draws, and hoping that next summer would be better. “Kauno Žalgiris” has finally crossed it.
The Kaunas team became only the second club to do so. The first was Vilnius “Žalgiris,” which played in the Conference League group stage in 2022. The Vilnius team got there by defeating Malmö, later losing to Bodø/Glimt, and in the Europa League knockout stage, they were defeated by Razgrad’s Ludogorets.
Four years have passed since that historic Vilnius campaign. During that time, Lithuanian clubs returned to the usual European routine – beautiful summer hopes, a few victories, and doors closing too early. Now, another “Žalgiris” has slipped through those doors.
However, the leader of the Kaunas team, Ž. Sopičius, began the historic triumph with combative rhetoric.
Instead of rejoicing, the Croatian launched many arrows at the Lithuanian Football Federation, angry that he does not understand some things.
“I want to thank all the fans who came in such large numbers and supported us so passionately. Even the President of the country was here. That is wonderful. It is a good stadium, a good pitch, but in my opinion, not fast enough and not favorable for a team that plays more defensively,” began the “Kauno Žalgiris” coach after the match. “I want to say that I am very happy to be here in Kaunas, but I would also like to say that I simply do not understand some things. I cannot understand how the local football federation closes the transfer window on July 15… I understand that the federation cares about all the clubs playing in the championship, but it should also think about those playing in Europe. It should think about what is best for Lithuanian clubs, help us… How can I achieve results with players from the street, I repeat – from the street, because the transfer window is already closed? I am not a miracle worker… I think in the future you must think about this and make different decisions because it would be better for Lithuanian football. I know you are a basketball nation, but you must do it. When you have money, you can buy. We have now earned some money and will probably spend it. I must talk to the president and hope we will reach an agreement.”
According to Ž. Sopičius, the Klaksvik team did not surprise him, and both matches were very similar.
“They again played typical Scandinavian football, trying to send long balls and look for chances during set pieces. It was not easy, not simple, because the opponents defended with all ten players in front of the ball, and their set pieces were very dangerous. We could have scored earlier, but I am very happy that we finally won because I fully understand what this victory means to the city, the club, and our president,” noted the Croatian.
The specialist is right.
The numbers offer another intriguing comparison. Mantas Kalnietis became the president of “Kauno Žalgiris” at the beginning of 2023, so the main stage of the European cups was reached in his fourth year of leadership. Vilma Venslovaitienė took the helm of the restored Vilnius “Žalgiris” in 2010 and achieved the historic result in 2022 – her thirteenth year at the club.
Of course, these are not entirely equivalent races. V. Venslovaitienė had to raise the Vilnius club from bankruptcy ashes, while M. Kalnietis joined a strong organization with infrastructure, a name, and backing. But football leaders are ultimately judged not by initial conditions but by where they lead the team. M. Kalnietis led it to where only Vilnius had been before.
The historic victory will also change the financial reality of the Kaunas club. Reaching at least the Conference League stage guarantees a starting payment of 3.17 million euros. Adding 175 thousand euros for each qualifying round played, the minimum UEFA bonus sum for “Kauno Žalgiris” approaches 4 million euros – even before counting wins and draws in the main stage.
For Lithuanian football, this is a huge amount of money. An amount that can increase the club’s budget not by a few percent but change its scale: allowing it to keep key players, seek reinforcements on a higher shelf, invest in the academy, and finally plan not just until the next salary month but for several years ahead.
For comparison, Kauno “Žalgiris” basketball players earned only 1.2 million euros for 5th place in last season’s EuroLeague.
For the architect of the historic victory, Ž. Sopičius, the main stage of the European cups will not be entirely unfamiliar territory. In 2016, the Croatian briefly took over the reins of Zagreb’s “Dinamo” and led the team in Champions League matches against Turin’s “Juventus.” At that time, Gonzalo Higuaín, Paulo Dybala, Dani Alves, and Gianluigi Buffon played in Zagreb, and “Dinamo” lost 0:4. Those remained Ž. Sopičius’s only matches at the helm of the Croatian giant in the main UEFA tournament.
Now he will have to return by a different path – not as the interim coach of the Zagreb giants but as the person who led a Lithuanian club to Europe.
“I fully understand that this is a historic evening for Lithuanian football, but I would like the team to play even better in the future and think about higher goals,” noted Ž. Sopičius.
Compared to the first match a week ago away, Ž. Sopičius made only one change in the starting lineup – Leo Ribeiro replaced Motiejus Burba on the right wing.
The Kaunas team started the match boldly, but it was difficult to find gaps in the dense Faroe defense. Midway through the half, after another Kaunas attack, a frustrated Ž. Sopičius threw a water bottle over the substitutes’ bench roof.
Minutes passed, the game did not click, and the visitors’ rare attacks were even more dangerous. The picture changed little after the break, so it became increasingly clear that the winner of the tie would likely be decided by a single accurate shot.
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And so it was. Over two matches, the ball hit the net only once. That goal belonged to “Klaksvik.”
In the 85th minute, Amine Benchaib passed to the right wing to Leon Krekovič, who appeared after a substitution, trapped the ball with his right foot, and scored the most important goal in “Kauno Žalgiris” history so far with a precise left-footed shot.
“I thank God, my family, my child, and my agent who believed in me and gave me this chance. Coming here was not an easy decision, but I am glad I did it. Finally, we achieved this historic victory, we are in the Conference League, but we want more,” said the goal scorer, who was introduced to the Kaunas club only on July 13.
“I am a coach, not a fan or a journalist. I must react during the match. Honestly, I was not happy with how we played in the first half. That is why we made changes. We had to show more passion on the pitch and fight to the blood,” said Ž. Sopičius.
Over these two matches, the Lithuanian champions may not have been the better team, but Ž. Sopičius’s boys snatched the historic ticket to the next stage.
Immediately after the final whistle, the 52-year-old Croatian ran towards the stands, climbed the fence, and hugged his wife.
Meanwhile, M. Kalnietis, having taken off his jacket, and club director Eimantas Pūras rushed into each other’s arms.
History was made.
“There was a lot of stress. From the very first match in Europe. Now everything is much calmer,” smiled M. Kalnietis after the historic victory.
In less than a week, the Lithuanian champions will travel to Croatia.
Fate here was blunt: in the next Champions League qualifying round, “Kauno Žalgiris” will face Ž. Sopičius’s former club, Zagreb’s “Dinamo.” The Croatian champions eliminated Switzerland’s “Thun” 4:3 after extra time in the second round. The first match of the third round will take place next Tuesday in the hometown of “Kauno Žalgiris” leader, with the return leg on August 11 in Kaunas.
“I was born in Zagreb and have supported “Dinamo” all my life since I was a child. I was a player for this team, coached the reserve team, and finally temporarily led the main squad. For people born in Zagreb, this team is everything. There is no point in comparing budgets. Nor quality. But we will go there, and I know we will give our all. And for that, I want to return once again to what I said earlier – some players could help us in the future, but…,” said Ž. Sopičius.
The upcoming match in Zagreb will also be special for L. Krekovič.
“It will be a principled battle for me because I grew up in Split and represented “Hajduk” from the age of twelve, which is the fiercest opponent of the Zagreb team. I spent truly special years of my career there, so returning to my country and playing against the biggest rival will definitely be something,” said the sole goal scorer.
Lithuanian football returned to the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League after three years. In 2023, Vilnius “Žalgiris” played here, drawing 2:2 at home with Istanbul’s “Galatasaray” and losing 0:1 away.
“Kauno Žalgiris” is also not promised an easy life in Zagreb. But the Kaunas team will go to Croatia no longer fearing that one failure will turn off the light for the entire European summer. The most important ticket is already in the pocket. Now they can play for even bigger stages, money, and dreams.
For now, they can stop at Jonava.
At the west, where the most important victory of the Kaunas team was won not in Kaunas. At the stadium that was not supposed to be part of this story but eventually became its historic decoration. At the club that was driven out of its home but refused to be driven out of Europe.
“It is not easy to play the most important match of the season on an unfamiliar pitch, having had only one training session… But the most important thing is that everything ended successfully and we still won,” sighed Ž. Sopičius a little more easily.
On Friday, the floodlights will light up at the Darius and Girėnas stadium, Pitbull will take the stage, and thousands of people will dance to Mr. “Worldwide”‘s music.
But the most important Kaunas football concert of this week has already been held in Jonava.
There was no global star in it. Only Lithuanian champions, a small stadium, and the final whistle after which the name “Kauno Žalgiris” became European for the first time.
“I know very well how much the city and the club earn from concerts and other events, but these guys earned four times more on the pitch. Maybe in the future, such concerts could be held in September? I think the weather in September is suitable for that,” suggested Ž. Sopičius.
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