After five seasons that reshaped the club’s trajectory, FC Hegelmann is closing a significant chapter as head coach Andrius Skerla departs. Since arriving in 2021 – just as the team stepped onto the A Lyga stage – Skerla became synonymous with the club’s rise, helping turn the blue-and-whites into one of Lithuania’s most competitive sides.
For Skerla, Hegelmann was more than another stop in his coaching journey- it was his first opportunity as a head coach. After ending his playing career in 2013, he spent years learning the trade as an assistant at FK Žalgiris and later with Lithuania’s U-21 and senior national teams. Hegelmann entrusted him with full leadership, and he rewarded that trust by delivering the most successful period in the club’s history.
Under his guidance, the blue-and-whites reached three Lithuanian Cup final in 2022, 2024, and 2025, collected consecutive A Lyga silver medals in 2024 and 2025, and earned two opportunities to test themselves in the UEFA Conference League qualifiers. Longevity also became part of his legacy: Skerla leaves as the longest-serving manager in the team’s history. Personal recognition followed naturally – he was named A Lyga Coach of the Season in 2024 and claimed four separate Coach of the Month awards.
In Hegelmann’s statement the 48-year-old manager describes these years as both professionally transformative and emotionally rich. Saying that the team’s identity matured dramatically, evolving from an ambitious newcomer into a side that genuinely believed it could battle the league’s heavyweights. That realization, he admits, was a turning point that injected confidence throughout the squad. Over time, he watched the club reshape itself structurally and culturally, growing into a professional environment with a clear long-term vision. Players, he notes, developed tactically as well as mentally, and the team as a whole learned what it meant to pursue goals with clarity and purpose.
As he steps away, Skerla made a point to thank the supporters whose presence – no matter the size of the stands – he says the team always felt. He expressed gratitude to players, staff, and everyone working behind the scenes for the collective effort that fueled the club’s progress.
Club director Dainius Šumauskas highlighted the significance of Skerla’s impact, noting that he arrived when Hegelmann was still discovering itself and leaves with the club firmly among the league’s contenders. He praised the standards Skerla set, the identity he helped create, and the belief he instilled within the team.
Source: https://fchegelmann.com/a-skerlos-era-fc-hegelmann-klube-baigesi/
