Last few days we have seen and heard many publications related to the events that took place a year ago at the former LFF Stadium, allegedly promoting them or trying to mock them, or perhaps even in some way protecting the current leadership of the capital’s club from possible failure. A year ago, when suitcases were thrown onto the pitch before the start of the A Lyga match between Vilnius Žalgiris and Kauno Žalgiris, many reacted with the slogan: “Good, that’s exactly what they deserved,” assessing the arrogance, conceit and disregard for people shown by former club director Vilma Venslovaitienė and former head coach Vladimir Cheburin of Kazakhstan.
The new club management – the working principles remain the same
A year has passed quickly: the management has changed, the budget has changed (it has increased significantly), more money has been allocated to advertising and public relations, and the coaching staff of the Žalgiris women’s team has also changed. The Klevinskas family, who had built and worked for the club for many years, were let go in, to put it mildly, not the most graceful manner, yet the fundamental questions still remain unanswered.
There is only one question: will the current club management conduct an audit of themselves after one year? Will they show the public how much money they waste on unnecessary things such as filming and similar activities unrelated to football itself? Will they publish the quarterly reports that they are obliged to submit to the Vilnius Municipality? Will the mainstream media raise these issues and ask all of these questions? Most likely not.
In any case, from the author’s perspective, the first half of the season deserves a failing grade. The former Komjaunimo Tiesa Cup was lost to Atmosfera of Mažeikiai, while the team’s A Lyga performances have been underwhelming. Even qualifying for the next stage in Europe raises many questions.
As for the second half of the season and the change of head coach, yes, it has brought more quality, but the team remains inconsistent: at times they wanted to play, while at others they clearly did not. There is also a question for sporting director Giedrius Klevinskas: are players earning €10,000–20,000 per month really significantly better than comparable players earning €5,000–7,000, and why did the club focus exclusively on expensive signings this summer? Money does not last forever, and one day it may run out. If A Lyga is not won, then what?
Take, for example, the contracts of Georgian defender Saba Mamatsashvili from Sweden’s top division and Paulius Golubickas – they are a complete tragedy. You can sign them, but not for that kind of money. Then again, when you have plenty of money, what difference does the price make? During his time at Hegelmann, he selected players more rationally and with greater care.
The schedule is favourable – especially for both Žalgiris clubs
Judging by the fixture list, both Žalgiris clubs can rub their hands together—they have effectively been given a green light with a direct route towards the title. Other clubs currently in good form, such as Marijampolė’s Sūduva, have to look for sparring partners in Poland simply to maintain their form and match rhythm. Clubs that have been participating in European competitions for years are being given every possible helping hand, even though they have plenty of players who could feature as reserves in the A Lyga while the first team rests after European matches. So why are all those Lithuanian players in the club in the first place? Merely to give young players the impression that they are close to the club and part of the team. They do not develop by sitting on the bench.
All of this creates conflict—and not a small one. Clubs standing on the opposite side of the barricades are left to adapt. It was the same with Andrius Skerla when he coached Kaunas district side Hegelmann. Towards the end of the previous couple of seasons, he had many complaints about the A Lyga leadership regarding the poor fixture schedule and the congestion of matches in autumn. At one point, Hegelmann were even close to winning the A Lyga title—in September 2024—but later injuries and the demanding schedule worked against them, allowing Vilnius Žalgiris to move ahead.
The ignoring continues
Returning to the issue of respecting people, Vilnius Žalgiris continues its tradition from last year of ignoring the author and this year again did not grant accreditation for, for example, the match against the Croatians. There certainly would have been time to come the day before the match and ask Andrius Skerla questions as a journalist representing a football portal registered in Latvia. However, the club’s management has decided otherwise and continues to disregard people, because, to them, people seem to be nothing more than cockroaches. These people look only after themselves and their own interests.
Be that as it may, and without delving into the personal reasons why both the Lithuanian Football Federation and Vilnius Žalgiris do not grant accreditations, the answer can be simple: you can write an article without accreditation. Good journalists do not need it, and bad journalists will not be helped by it.
Liepkalnis Stadium – an uncertain future?
This week I tried to contact former director Vilma Venslovaitienė, but it appears she has either changed her phone number or is on holiday by the seaside. It would have been interesting to hear her version of everything. It would also have been interesting to hear a comment from the Lithuanian Football Federation on who allowed so many objects to be brought into its home stadium last summer that could have posed a threat to people’s safety. After all, there could have been anything inside them. Who gave the order to security to turn a blind eye?
I have no doubt that the rearranging of the chairs had the possible blessing of Edgaras Stankevičius. Three weeks ago, a colleague and friend from the Facebook page Ąžuolų girios. Futbolo Lietuvoje could not even enter Liepkalnis Stadium with his amateur, outdated camera, yet when it came time to remove Vilmutė, every door was open. Even former Vilnius mayor Artūras Zuokas could probably have arrived with a tank to make an even greater impression.
Speaking about the future of the former Lokomotyvas Stadium, later known as Vėtra Stadium, located near the railway station, and without wasting the readers’ time, it should be said that Venslovaitienė appears to have disposed of her share in the stadium, and it is now fully owned by the Radionov brothers of Ollex, who each hold a 50 per cent stake.
Under the former LFF Stadium usage agreement, the Lithuanian Football Federation obliged the new owners not to change the purpose of either the stadium or the land for at least ten years. Call it whatever you want, but until at least 2034 the site is supposed to be used exclusively for football purposes. Afterwards, perhaps it will become a truck park, a housing development or tennis courts. Time will tell.
In my opinion, Vilnius Žalgiris could buy the stadium, renovate it into a 7,000-seat venue and play its A Lyga matches there, while international fixtures could be hosted at the stadium currently being built near Vilnius Akropolis.
At a joint press conference held by the Lithuanian Football Federation and the club in December 2024, Venslovaitienė said:
“Our priority now is a heated pitch and covering the south stand with a roof. Our final decision is limited by the question of the national stadium, because this should become the base. We have also agreed with the supporters that the stadium will have its own identity, but we will sell the naming rights.”
This quote perfectly reflects her complete disregard for others, her cynicism and the contradiction in her own words. Neither a heated natural grass pitch, nor stand reconstruction, nor even the most necessary repair works were ever carried out. Perhaps in another decade—or even sooner—the entire facility will be written off as no longer suitable or safe for public use.
The future and operators of the Šeškinė district stadium
The stadium that has been under construction for many years now finally appears likely to be completed, although, considering everything—the deadlines, the costs and whether it is even needed—many questions arise.
In reality, this is not just about a football stadium, but about a large complex with recreation areas, shops and almost becoming a second mini Northern Town. A kindergarten with 300 places, a 7,000-seat basketball arena and perhaps even a 25-metre swimming pool or a dog walking area—everything sounds good enough, but it must be understood that these were necessary conditions to qualify for European Union funding.
If Mayor Valdas Benkunskas decided that there were countless interested parties and that Vilnius could not justify allocating so much money solely to one purpose, then this was a Solomonic decision. It satisfies the interests of all stakeholder groups and also helps him keep his position for another term, with the next municipal elections due in the spring of 2027. Once again, he has shown why he is the mayor.
However, the road-widening projects—just as under Remigijus Šimašius there were road-narrowing projects—are, in my opinion, an unforgivable waste of money and an example of irrational decision-making, no matter what anyone says. Why can Kaunas manage its roads and resurfacing projects while Vilnius cannot? It is a rhetorical question that requires no answer.
Returning to the world’s number one sport, football will once again end up somewhere in the middle of everything, while many of the facilities will require numerous administrators. Who will oversee everything and manage it all? Most likely the responsibilities will be divided: some will be responsible for football, others for basketball, and others for the shops or perhaps even the swimming pool, should one eventually be built in response to public demand.
It is also interesting how they will separate the organisation of concerts from football. And if they do not interfere with one another, then another question arises: who will share the pie – the people from Kaunas or those from Vilnius? The people from Kaunas know this business very well and have much more experience in managing such projects. Endless questions will arise about the use of public money and who will ultimately benefit from it through intermediaries and administrators.
In any case, the stadium should be built. Whether it is actually needed is another matter. Then why was the old Vilnius Žalgiris Stadium near the Green Bridge demolished in the first place? It was an ideal location for football – close to both the railway station and the airport. Why move everything to the residential district of Šeškinė? Because construction is an everlasting business. Anyone who owns even the smallest amount of property understands this – constant repairs, maintenance and, if it is not privately owned, someone will also have to administer it using public funds.
T. Narbutas Stadium – Plan B?
If, in one way or another, Vilnius Žalgiris is left out in the cold and concert organisation in Vilnius ends up in the hands of the Kaunas group, then, alongside the future National Stadium, another similar sports complex is also being developed in the capital near the western bypass—the Petro Narbutas Stadium project.
Our contributor Augustas covered the development of this construction project by the businessman last weekend (the story was later picked up by almost everyone who could, although not everyone credited the original source). It could become a lifeline for the capital’s only club in the A Lyga. You can read more about the project here:
Echoes of V. Venslovaitienė in Klaipėda
Finally, perhaps you have heard, perhaps you have not, but the former owner of Vilnius Žalgiris now spends most of her time on the Lithuanian coast where, according to several sources, she would like to become involved in football again. Perhaps it is finally time for the wealthy businessmen of the seaside region to unite and revive Atlantas Klaipėda, or perhaps her vision is to establish another football club closer to home in the capital? Time will tell.
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