Vilnius Žalgiris has announced that Vladimir Cheburin, the record holder for the most A Lyga titles as a coach, will remain with the team after agreeing to a contract extension.
The Kazakhstani-born coach, who has been in charge of Vilnius Žalgiris since 2021, has won three out of four league titles with the team. In the 2022/23 season, he led Žalgiris to the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage, making them the first Lithuanian club to reach the main stage of any European competition.
Following the 2023 season, in which Vilnius Žalgiris finished second, the team underwent significant changes to its squad. This led to skepticism among football observers regarding Žalgiris’s chances of reclaiming the championship. When Cheburin was asked about this, he commented:
“Before the season, it seemed that only the club administration, coaching staff, players, and our most loyal fans believed in our chances,” recalled V. Čeburinas. “What makes this season different? Every season is unique. Based on last year’s experience, we worked hard this year to assemble a squad, selecting the players we needed to fight for high goals. Many players left, and we parted ways with some. Our team is about 75 percent new.”
Cheburin believes the season can be considered successful because of the championship title won, but he acknowledged there were disappointments: “We were not successful in Europe, but there are reasons for that. I am grateful to the players for their efforts in Cyprus, where we played almost all the matches with a reduced squad. It is not easy; it is really very difficult. There were challenges this season due to the cup and European competition. Next year, we will strive to perform better.”
The 59-year-old coach began his career in Kazakhstan but joined FK Kruoja as manager in 2014. After a year in A Lyga, he returned home to coach his hometown team in Karaganda. In September 2016, he was appointed the coach of Marijampole Sūduva, where he won three A Lyga titles. After leaving Sūduva following the 2019 season, he took a year-long break from coaching. He became the manager of Vilnius Žalgiris in the 2021 season.
Throughout his career, Cheburin has won six A Lyga titles (the most by any manager), two Lithuanian Cup titles, and three Lithuanian Super Cup titles.
Source: https://fkzalgiris.lt/prie-zalgirio-komandos-vairo-lieka-v-ceburinas/