Lithuanian captain Zagurskas reflects after record night in Kaunas

Speaking in a post-match interview published on the Lithuanian Football Federation website, Lithuania captain Justinas Zagurskas reflected on a historic but ultimately painful evening for Lithuanian futsal, following the UEFA Futsal European Championship clash against Ukraine national futsal team.

A record crowd of 6,092 spectators packed Žalgiris Arena, creating the largest-ever attendance for a futsal match in Lithuania and underlining the growing connection between the national team and its supporters.

Zagurskas revealed that Lithuania went into the match with genuine belief, following a dramatic 3-3 draw against Czechia national futsal team in their opening fixture.

“We wanted to win and we believed in ourselves,” Zagurskas said. “Both the players and the coach felt that this Ukrainian team is no longer the same as it was at the World Cup. They’re not as dominant or intimidating as before. We felt they were vulnerable, but you can still feel the individual quality they have. When you don’t score, usually the opponent scores instead – and that’s very painful.”

According to the captain, one of the decisive differences compared to Ukraine’s previous match was between the posts, where a change in goalkeeper had a clear impact on the flow of the game.

“The biggest change was their goalkeeper,” Zagurskas explained, referring to Oleksandr Sukhov. “I wouldn’t say he decided the match on his own, but he completely changed how Ukraine played.”

Despite the defeat, Zagurskas emphasized how meaningful the atmosphere was for the players and expressed hope that the championship would further boost futsal’s popularity in Lithuania.

“It’s a real joy,” he said. “We want people in Lithuania to understand what futsal really is. Many of us gave up possible careers in outdoor football to choose futsal. As our federation president once said, it used to be an unpopular decision, but moments like this – playing at a European Championship in front of full stands – make it all worthwhile. We live for this.”

Lithuania now turn their attention to the final group-stage match against Armenia national futsal team on Wednesday, who have already secured top spot in Group B. Zagurskas admitted Armenia’s success has been one of the tournament’s biggest surprises.

“Their win against Ukraine surprised us,” he said. “We didn’t underestimate them – we thought they could be the dark horse, and that’s exactly what happened. They qualified from a group with Kazakhstan, which already says a lot. What we saw on the court shows they deserved to reach the next stage.”

Source: https://www.lff.lt/ziurovu-rekorda-ivertines-rinktines-kapitonas-j-zagurskas-del-tokiu-akimirku-kyla-didelis-dziaugsmas/