by Mantas Aliukonis
Last month in January the Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF) Executive Committee met in Kaunas to confirm new head coaches for the men’s, women’s, and youth national teams. The decisions marked another winter of change across Lithuanian football – a reshuffle that felt both necessary and, in places, strangely cautious.
There is a saying in Lithuania that horses should not be changed midstream. This winter, however, the river was already rising. Former U-21, U-17, and U-16 head coaches Rokas Garastas, Nerijus Mačiulis, and Edmundas Pukys were replaced by Andrius Skerla and Dominykas Galkevičius with U-16 spot still being vacant till this day.
Despite the federation’s technical department presenting a full slate of candidates, one coaching position remains vacant. At the same time, U-19 coach Mindaugas Čepas remained untouched – “frozen like an ice sculpture,” as critics put it – keeping his job through the end of the cycle, while Garastas was reassigned to the U-15 national team.
Using data from worldfootball.net and forzafootball.com, a review of recent results across all national teams highlights a familiar pattern: conservative expectations matched by conservative outcomes.
When presenting the men’s squad, head coach Edgaras Jankauskas said, “We respect our opponents, but we fear no one.” Despite public criticism and internal division over his future, Jankauskas retained strong backing from LFF president Edgaras Stankevičius and remains in post until the end of 2026. The target was a third or fourth-place finish in the group; the result was last place, with three points from three draws twice against Malta and once against Finland. Stability was preserved, but progress was not.
At U-21 level, the federation avoided setting concrete objectives, instead aiming vaguely for a 40th-45th overall ranking among 51 UEFA nations. The team currently sits last in its group with one point from five matches and an overall ranking of 47th. Garastas was replaced by Andrius Skerla, whose role will consists of just three official matches in 2026 against Ukraine, Hungary and Croatia to finish the Euro qualification – a short-term assignment with limited expectations and minimal accountability.
Despite modest results at club level, Čepas remained in charge of the U-19s. “No team will have time to warm up – everyone must deliver results here and now,” he said. Lithuania currently sits third in its group and ranks between 38th and 40th overall among 52 nations, advancing to a tougher qualification group later this autumn against Azerbaijan and Northern Ireland.
The U-17s finished mid-pack in their qualifying group and will face significantly stronger opposition later this year, including Germany and Northern Ireland. Mačiulis was replaced by Galkevičius, while the U-16s remain without a head coach altogether. With no official UEFA or FIFA competitions at that age level, the LFF set no competitive targets.
On the women’s side, head coach Tomas Ražanauskas, despite having no previous experience in women’s football, adapted quickly. “What we create, we must use – and that is not easy,” he admitted. The target was a second or third-place finish in the Nations League C group; the outcome was last place, albeit with an away win over Azerbaijan. Ražanauskas remains in charge through the end of the 2027 World Cup qualification cycle.
Across every level, the pattern is difficult to ignore: lowered targets, diluted accountability, and continuity preserved where change may have been needed most. Change has arrived – but not always with a clear sporting vision behind it.
Lithuanian football’s future once again appears to rest less on long-term planning and more on administrative comfort. Whether these decisions bring stability or merely postpone deeper problems will soon become clear. One thing, however, is certain: the margin for error is shrinking.
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