Žalgiris Kaunas are set to make history this Thursday as they host their first-ever UEFA Conference League third qualifying round match at the Darius and Girėnas stadium.
Last week, Eivinas Černiauskas’ side secured a memorable victory over Icelandic club Valur in Reykjavík, earning their place in the third round. Now, they face a new challenge against Bulgarian side Arda Kardzhali.
Ahead of this milestone for the club, Žalgiris Kaunas president Mantas Kalnietis shared his thoughts on the achievement and what lies ahead.
“First of all, it’s really exciting to be playing in such a historic stage of the competition for our club. We’ve taken full advantage of the first two opportunities. The team not only won but played attractive football. Confidence is high, and, most importantly, almost everyone is healthy and ready to welcome our Bulgarian opponents,” said Kalnietis.
“It’s hard to say much about Arda at this point, but I have no doubt our coaching staff will do a thorough job preparing for the match and analyzing the opponent.”
Should Žalgiris Kaunas overcome Arda, they would advance to the fourth and final qualifying round, where they would face the winner of the tie between Raków Częstochowa (Poland) and Maccabi Haifa (Israel).
When asked about the draw for the next round, Kalnietis remained focused on the immediate challenge.
“It’s always interesting to follow the draw, but our minds are firmly on the upcoming two matches: first at home against the Bulgarian club, then the away leg. I think it’s important to recall how we started the season: taking things one match at a time, not looking too far ahead. That mindset hasn’t changed. Right now, the full focus is on Arda. We’ll think about the next opponents only if and when we get there.”
Kalnietis also expressed delight at the growing support from fans and revealed expectations of a strong turnout at Thursday’s match.
“It’s great to see more and more spectators as our results improve. Finally, football that draws crowds is back in Kaunas. I believe we might even break the attendance record we aimed for during the A Lyga season. Now we have a real chance to show Europe that we know how to support our team. We invite everyone to come out and cheer for the only remaining Lithuanian club in the competition.”
The first leg between Kauno Žalgiris and Arda Kardzhali kicks off at 19:00 on August 7 at Darius and Girėnas Stadium.
