The Lithuanian men’s national team concluded their UEFA Nations League campaign with a 0-1 defeat against Kosovo on Monday evening. As a result, Lithuania finishes fourth in their group and will be directly relegated to Division D of the Nations League, with matches scheduled for 2026.
After the year’s final match, coach Edgaras Jankauskas reflected on the national team’s performance. “It’s disappointing to be relegated to Division D, but I believe we will make our way back up again. The fans see and appreciate our efforts, hard work, and dedication to the team, and they thank us for that. The most important thing for the fans is the emotion, dedication, and passion we bring; our connection with them is very strong.
We lacked a bit of luck and, at times, quality, but the opponents were also strong. You cannot deny that the players are trying; everyone can see that. We will do our best not to disappoint the fans, but we will need their patience,” summarized Coach Jankauskas.
He also addressed the critical moment of the match—the goal conceded in the fifth minute. “The game started very poorly for us; we didn’t handle our nerves well and lacked courage. You must admit that coming here to play is challenging for any team. Kosovo is a very good technical team, and with their strong support, they have become an even bigger force. We knew it would be difficult, and we experienced that, but after conceding a goal, we managed to take control of the game. We felt we could compete, and the game evened out.
Home teams usually come out strong initially, wanting to settle the match early, which we understand. However, it must be said that the goal we conceded was probably the least deserving of the cycle, which is incredibly disappointing. It’s not just a case of lack of concentration; there may have been several incorrect decisions. The pass to Edgaras Utkus was not ideal, and his reception was not up to standard, which led to an unexpected goal against us. We recognize our mistakes, but we all made them together as a team, and we paid for them. It’s truly disappointing, especially when that was the only goal that decided the match,” the coach said.
After the break, with a numerical advantage, the Lithuanians created several promising chances to score. However, a couple of shots hit the goal frame, and the opposing goalkeeper saved a powerful shot from Vykintas Slivka. “After the break, we completely dominated the game. The opponents even switched to a formation with three central defenders because they couldn’t handle our attacks.
The players truly gave their all; for instance, Edvinas Gertmonas played after receiving painkillers. It’s very disappointing that after putting in so much effort, we still lacked the success to win. Of course, it’s encouraging that after such a setback at the beginning of the game, the team didn’t fall apart and demonstrated their character,” lamented Jankauskas.