Žalgiris have announced the signing of German defender Dominik Franke, with the deal due to start when the next registration window opens. The 27-year-old left-footed defender arrives after two seasons with FC Thun, where he helped the club win promotion to the Swiss top flight last year and then go on to claim the league title this season.
Žalgiris sporting director Giedrius Klevinskas said Franke brings experience from elite environments, pointing to his time in the RB Leipzig academy, his early professional years at Wolfsburg and his appearances for Germany’s youth teams.
“Dominik is a versatile left-footed defender who can play both out wide and centrally,” Klevinskas said. “We believe a player like this will strengthen our team with both quality and experience. We are pleased he has committed his future to Žalgiris with a long-term 2.5-year contract, with an option to extend for another year.”
Franke, who is from eastern Germany, began playing in his home region with SC Riesa before moving to Leipzig. He later represented Wolfsburg’s second team and played in Germany’s second and third tiers with Wehen Wiesbaden and Ingolstadt.
He won more than 20 caps across Germany’s U18, U19 and U20 sides. Franke moved to Switzerland in autumn 2023 and played 52 official matches for Thun, scoring once and providing six assists. In the historic title winning season Franke made 12 league appearances for them.
Žalgiris said the defender has completed a medical and can be registered from 15 June. The Vilnius club are set to play Riteriai on 12 June and Panevežys on 16 June.
Source: https://fkzalgiris.lt/zalgiri-papildys-sveicarijos-cempionas-d-franke/
