It’s the end of a chapter for Lithuanian goalkeeper Džiugas Bartkus in Saudi Arabia. After two solid seasons in the country’s second-tier league, the 35-year-old is leaving Al-Bukiryah FC—not due to form or performance, but because of newly introduced league rules.
The changes limit each team to four foreign players and require goalkeepers to be domestic, leaving Bartkus ineligible to continue with the club.
Bartkus had a standout season, cementing his role as Al-Bukiryah’s first-choice keeper. He kept an impressive 17 clean sheets in 34 appearances, helping the club to a fifth-place finish and a spot in the promotion playoffs. Their campaign ended in the semifinals after a tense penalty shootout loss to Al-Adalh.
No stranger to change, the Lithuanian shot-stopper boasts a well-traveled career. In his native Lithuania, he played for top sides FBK Kaunas, FK Sūduva, and FK Žalgiris. His international journey has taken him across Europe and beyond—with stints in Belarus for Partizan Minsk and Dinamo Brest, in Poland with Górnik Łęczna, Malta’s Valletta FC, and most recently in Israel with Ironi Kiryat Shmona before heading to Saudi Arabia.
Bartkus thanked Al-Bukiryah, his teammates, and fans in an Instagram post, calling the season memorable. While his time in Saudi Arabia may have come to an end, Bartkus made it clear that he’s far from finished.
