Grobiņa assistant coach Dmitrijs Kalašņikovs says the battle to stay in the top flight across the Baltic states is becoming increasingly unforgiving, arguing the pressure at the bottom of the table can be stronger than the race for titles and European qualification.
The 42-year-old joined Grobiņa’s coaching staff this summer after spells working in Estonia and, most recently, Lithuania, where he coached Nevežis last season. He is now part of head coach Oskars Kļava’s backroom team, returning to the Latvian top tier with a club sitting eighth in the Virslīga, one point above Tukums 2000 in the relegation play-off zone.
“Competition in the Baltic leagues to stay in the top division becomes sharper and more ruthless every year,” Kalašņikovs said on a podcast with football analyst and commentator Edmunds Novickis. “It is perhaps even greater than the competition for the title and European cups, because more teams are involved.”
Kalašņikovs described his working relationship with Kļava as built on long-standing familiarity, having known each other since childhood. “Oskars respects me as a coach, and I’m very grateful for that, and I do everything so that he gets good results,” he said, adding that results would ultimately be the measure of how well the partnership is functioning.
He also explained that his initial role was expected to be more observational, but the club’s president pushed for greater day-to-day involvement from the staff. “From the bench I can be more directly involved in discussions and the team’s work,” Kalašņikovs said.
Grobiņa have gone four league matches without a win, collecting one point in that run, coming in a draw against bottom club Ogre United. Kalašņikovs said early-season stability in selection had helped deliver results, but that continuity has since been disrupted.
He noted that club ambition and current performance were not aligned, and that the same tension exists across the league as most teams chase objectives above their present position. Grobiņa, in the Virslīga since 2024, finished ninth in each of their first two seasons and twice went through relegation play-offs to retain their place.
Asked about the balance of domestic and foreign players in the draw with Ogre United, Kalašņikovs said the club was still working out what it wants to be. “The club hasn’t found its identity yet. And that is normal,” he said, pointing to the lack of a settled home base as part of the broader uncertainty.
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Source: https://sportacentrs.com/futbols/virsliga/12082026-kalasnikovs_cina_par_izdzivosanu_baltijas
