Before Latvia’s final two national team games of 2024, LTV interviewed Andrejs
Cigaņiks, discussing his personal goals, ambitions for the national team, his journey
through club football and his dream of playing in the Bundesliga.
“If you look at my football career, it’s been a long journey, and I’m happy with where I am
now. My goal with the national team is to win more games than I have recently. If we play
10 games a year and only win 1 or 2, that’s not my aim. My goal, of course, is to win far
more games, but that’s the team’s goal too. Personally, I want to play 100 games for the
national team, help it grow, and support the younger players. When I joined, there weren’t
many experienced players to guide me. Now, at 27, with almost 60 national appearances, I
can use my experience to help younger players move forward.
To be honest, we have players on our team who could still play abroad. I want to
experience those emotions because they’re something you can’t buy; they have to be
lived. Of course, I want to reach the European Championship or the World Cup with Latvia
and win something. But we can’t just say we want to win something; we need a clear goal.
Now, with a new coach, we’re working on improving steadily from one camp to the next.
We can’t expect instant results – it’s a process. But I don’t have endless time. I’m 27 now,
28 next year, and I can’t keep waiting. By 35, I don’t want to look back and say, ‘Thank you
all, but I didn’t achieve anything.’ That’s not my goal. I want to compete in the European
Championship, win the Nations League C, and reach League B. If all players have these
ambitions, then we can achieve something. I see the guys’ passion and potential. We just
need to focus more on our individual contributions. If everyone is committed to their best
and to helping the team, then we’re all moving forward with one goal.
When I was 16 and moved to Germany, I thought I’d have a chance to play in the
Bundesliga. But then came injuries and maybe a different mentality. But everyone has their
own path, and so do I. Maybe one day I’ll be in the Bundesliga – that’s what I’m working
towards. It’s both a goal and a dream. Playing abroad is a constant battle for your position,
proving you’re the best for that role. If you play in Poland, for instance, and there’s a Polish
player in your position, you’ll only play if you’re clearly better. When I joined Łódź in the
winter, they were third in the table and had been winning a lot. I was the only player they
signed, but then we started losing, and out of 13 games, we had maybe one win and two
draws. We dropped to 12th and nearly got relegated. During those losses, I was playing,
and when the season ended, I stayed, and so did the coach – although I don’t know why.
But at the start of the next season, after an international break, I returned to Łódź and
quickly realized I wasn’t in the coach’s plans. I asked the sporting director about going on
loan or breaking my contract, but I also thought that if the coach had a rough start, they
might replace him. I kept quiet, and the sporting director told me I’d stay.
I barely played 90 minutes in 8 weeks, but eventually, they changed the coach. The new
coach, who I still have a great relationship with, was phenomenal, both as a person and a
coach. But even with him, I didn’t play right away – I had to prove myself first. Once I did, I
played regularly until winter. Then I felt from the sporting director and president that it was
time to move on. We extended my contract until 2026, and I was happy with the coach,
fans, and playing time. We had already been discussing options since December, and by
summer, I accepted an offer from Luzern that I couldn’t refuse.
Of course, there were arguments and issues with the president at Łódź, a big dispute, but
we reached an agreement, and now I’m very happy to be here. It’s close to Germany,
where I know the language. When I joined the national team, my Latvian wasn’t fluent, and
it bothered me. But now I’m proud to have another language in my mind – Latvian – and
that’s what matters most. I can now speak five languages, and I don’t plan to stop.”
The journalist added, “With your next transfer, maybe you’ll learn another language.”
Andrejs smiled and replied, “No, the next transfer will be to the Bundesliga.”