by Mantas Aliukonis
It’s been just over two months since the kickoff of the new A Lyga season, yet controversy still grips the corridors of Lithuanian football. At the heart of the storm are Vilnius’ Riteriai — a club teetering dangerously on the brink of bankruptcy.
The Backstory
The Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF) now finds itself scrambling to clean up a mess it helped create. Just before the season began, LFF approved an investment deal that brought Singaporean backers into Riteriai. What was supposed to be a lifeline turned into a slow-motion disaster: salaries started arriving late, and the relationship between longtime club owner Jan Nevoina and the new Asian investors quickly soured.
The winter saw Singapore-based sports marketing and player management company Red Card Global step in as Riteriai‘s new partial owners. According to insider information, the deal initially stipulated that Red Card Global would acquire a 7-part share package. However, they failed to meet their financial obligations. As a safeguard, 3 of the 7 parts remained under Nevoina’s control until full payment was secured.
LFF president Edgaras Stankevičius publicly admitted that the situation was grim: the club’s current handlers had lost interest in keeping the project afloat. To prevent Riteriai — and the ten-team league — from collapsing entirely, the LFF injected €50,000 into the club’s account in early April. Most of that money went straight to overdue salaries and player loan fees.
A History of Precedents and Missteps
Looking back, Riteriai‘s troubles are not unique. Lithuanian football has seen its fair share of clubs crash and burn midseason — and attempts by the LFF to shield the sport from dubious investors have not always succeeded.
The Fall of Kruoja and Klaipėdos Granitas
In 2014, the LFF introduced new ownership rules requiring every A Lyga club to have at least three stakeholders and to disclose any changes in ownership in advance. Despite these efforts, the 2015 season saw Kruoja (Pakruojis) and Klaipėdos Granitas expelled after being caught manipulating match outcomes. Notably, Kruoja‘s attempt to onboard investors from Hong Kong was blocked by the LFF.
MML City: A Scandal in the First Division
In 2023, controversy erupted again. Georgian and Ukrainian investors, along with controversial Lithuanian businessman Žydrūnas Buzas, took over MML City. By mid-year, unpaid salaries, mounting debts, and rumors of match-fixing plagued the club. That September, the LFF unanimously revoked MML City’s license after match-fixing allegations exploded, annulling the results of their remaining fixtures.
LFF president Stankevičius at the time blasted weak law enforcement and legislative loopholes, pointing out that young Lithuanian players were often the ones dragged into these murky dealings.
The Bankruptcy of Kauno Stumbras
Before its downfall in 2019, Kauno Stumbras was seen as a promising project, boosted by Portuguese investors and coach-owner Mariano Barreto. In 2017, despite struggles, the club won the LFF Cup and earned a place in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers.
But behind the scenes, warning signs emerged: in 2018, FIFPro issued damning reports about unpaid wages and exploitative contracts at Stumbras. The New York Times painted a bleak picture, suggesting the club’s main aim was to profit off player sales, calling Lithuania the “bottom of the football development ecosystem.”
Despite some attempts at damage control, by 2019 financial chaos had consumed the club. Players left en masse, and Stumbras lost its licenses for both the A Lyga and First League. Matches already played were allowed to stand, but the remaining games were forfeited 0–3.
An Even Older Precedent: Romar’s Collapse
One of Lithuanian football’s earliest collapses happened during the 1995/96 season, when Mažeikiai’s Romar folded after just four rounds. Financial troubles spiraled after club boss Romas Marcinkevičius left for the U.S., leading to the team’s disbandment. Vilnius’ youth-based team Alsa filled the gap, finishing near the bottom of the league. Interestingly, that season introduced the 3-points-for-a-win system still used today.
Among the young talents who emerged from Alsa were future stars like Povilas Lukšys, Valdas Trakys, Deividas Šemberas, and Darius Žutautas.
UEFA Money: A Safety Net?
Fortunately, financial pressures may soon ease. Thanks to UEFA solidarity payments, Lithuanian clubs are set to receive generous allocations this year — nearly €3 million total, a significant bump from €1.6 million in 2023. For the 2024 season alone, each A Lyga club received around €250,000, with Pirma Lyga clubs picking up €45,000 each. If Lithuanian teams perform well in European tournaments this summer, the numbers for 2025 could rise even higher. It’s worth noting: while these funds traditionally must be spent on youth development, training camps, travel, and staff costs — and are subject to audits — they provide a vital cushion in an otherwise unpredictable football economy.