by Mantas Aliukonis
As FK Banga Gargždai prepare for one of the biggest matches in the club’s recent history — a UEFA Europa Conference League QR2 showdown against Norwegian giants Rosenborg — centre-back Deividas Malžinskas is clear about one thing: they’re not planning only to survive.
“Yes, we know who Rosenborg are,” he said ahead of the first leg in Trondheim. “But we’re not going there just to defend — we’re going to fight.”
It’s a confident statement from a defender whose journey to the Lithuanian coast began with a personal decision to leave the familiarity of his hometown. After spending his entire career in Vilnius — representing Vytis, Riteriai, and TransINVEST — Malžinskas moved to Gargždai last winter to join Banga. The reason, he says, was simple.
“I left Vilnius for Gargždai because I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. To focus purely on football — no big-city distractions.”
Now a key figure in a young Banga side, the 26-year-old knows that a meeting with Rosenborg — 26-time Norwegian champions — is not just another fixture. But the preparation, he believes, has been spot on.
“We had 11 full days without a match. The league rescheduled things so we could focus on this. We’ve watched Rosenborg’s recent games — especially against Sarpsborg — and worked hard in training, both physically and tactically. No one here is tired. No one has excuses. We’re ready.”
The occasion itself, he says, is motivation enough.
“You don’t need to dangle bonuses. Just the chance to play in front of 7,000 or 10,000 fans is enough. For many of the guys, it’s their first European match. It’s a rare chance to show yourself, especially to clubs in Scandinavia. Motivation? We’ve got plenty — we just need to stay focused and not burn out from the occasion.”
While he’s understandably tight-lipped about tactics — “You’ll see everything during the match” — Malžinskas made it clear that Banga are not travelling just to park the bus.
“We know they’ll press, they’ll be physical, they’ll play at a high tempo. But we don’t plan to sit back and defend for 90 minutes. We want to have the ball too. We’ll try to win our individual battles and keep the game open.”
That belief is buoyed by one unusual strength for a Lithuanian side — comfort on natural grass.
“Playing on grass won’t be a problem,” he said. “We train on one of the best natural pitches in Lithuania. All eleven days leading up to this game have been on grass. Of course, their pitch might feel different, but it won’t be something that affects the match.”
Banga’s domestic campaign has been up and down, with short bursts of form offset by longer winless spells. Sitting 8th in the A Lyga and struggling to score, the team’s offensive firepower has been blunted by injuries.
“At the start of the season, we had a lot of new players. Then we lost key guys to injury — players who were supposed to be our leaders,” Malžinskas explained. “It’s had a real effect. But the young guys are working hard to step up. The instability comes from that, but it’s not for lack of effort.”
Among the missing are striker Aivars Emsis, midfielder Aaron Olugbogi, and defender Rokas Filipavičius, who dislocated his collarbone and tore shoulder ligaments in the win over Žalgiris.
Despite the adversity, the squad has remained focused — and fearless.
“There’s no fear,” Malžinskas said firmly. “Everyone’s excited. In preseason we played Lyngby — a strong Danish team — and held our own. They pushed the tempo, but we responded. Rosenborg will be similar — maybe even stronger — but we’re not going there to hide. They’re big-name players, sure, but they’re human too. We’ll look to bite back.”
Even with limited resources, Malžinskas doesn’t believe Banga will be underestimated. And if they are?
“Let them. We don’t care about salaries or budgets — we’ll do our talking on the pitch.”
His own season has had its ups and downs — including a few early mistakes — but he credits head coach David Afonso with giving him the opportunity to grow.
“It’s my first A Lyga season playing regularly. Coach Afonso believes in players who work hard and show commitment. No one’s guaranteed a place. You have to earn it every day in training. He trusts you if you deserve it — and I’m grateful for that.”
Despite missing Vilnius early on, Malžinskas says he’s adjusted well to life in Gargždai. And with Banga’s new signings — including Brazilian forward Anderson Cordeiro and Portuguese midfielder Laton — now joining a squad still healing from injuries, he’s hopeful that better results are on the horizon.
“We’ve got a young team. Our captains — Valdas Antužis, Matas Ramanauskas, Natanas Žebrauskas — are stepping up, but it’s not always easy. Before, we had Robertas Vėževičius in the dressing room — his presence fixed a lot. But now it’s a good opportunity for others to grow into that role.”
The task ahead in Norway is huge — but for Malžinskas, it’s a challenge worth embracing.
“We’ll go there to fight. It’s as simple as that.”
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