FK Kauno Žalgiris

FK Kauno Žalgiris is a professional football club based in Kaunas, Lithuania. The club was founded in 2004 as FM Spyris Kaunas when school coaches decided to provide an opportunity for footballers who had graduated from their program to continue their professional careers.

In its early years, the club played in the lowest Lithuanian leagues. However, in the early 2010s, they experienced some success in promotions, and by 2015, the club expressed their desire to compete in the highest Lithuanian league. This move was part of their effort to contribute to the revival of football in the temporary capital of Lithuania. Before the start of the 2015 season, which marked their debut in A Lyga, the club announced a partnership with BC Žalgiris and plans to adopt the name Žalgiris. This decision sparked controversy in Lithuania, as FK Žalgiris Vilnius, the country’s most prominent club, filed a complaint based on LFF regulations prohibiting two teams from having the same name.

Kauno Žalgiris officially adopted the new name at the beginning of the 2016 season. The legal case surrounding this decision lasted two years and ultimately favored Kauno Žalgiris. Although the club faced challenges in the Lithuanian A Lyga initially, recent years have marked the best period in the club’s history. They achieved a second-place finish in 2022 and three third-place finishes in 2020, 2021, and 2024, establishing themselves as serious medal contenders and seeking their first silverware.

Since 2015, the club has played its home matches at the Darius and Girėnas Stadium. It is owned by Euroleague General Director Paulius Motiejūnas and Lithuanian basketball legend Mantas Kalnietis, who serves as the club’s chairman.

In 2025, Kauno Žalgiris won their first Lithuanian title, leading the table by 8 points and securing a Champions League debut in 2026 as well as a Lithuanian Super Cup finals against Panevėžys, which they won 1-0, thus adding another new trophy to their growing silverware collection. In addition to the league title, 2025 also brought significant increase in fan engagement with the club, growing average match attendance by almost 400% and setting a Baltic domestic attendance record for that season at 6575 spectators at a round 6 goalless draw against Suduva.