by Dmitrijs Kravčenko
For much of Lithuania’s post-independence football history, the A Lyga has been something of a broken record: FK Žalgiris accumulated title after title interrupted only by the likes of Ekranas and FBK Kaunas bursting into the scene, building dominant clubs later undone by financial collapse; occasionally, a Sūduva or a Penevezys would come in to capitalise on the lull in competition, but for all intents and purposes, Žalgiris and A Lyga go together like bread and butter or, to use a more culturally appropriate metaphor, like dill and potatoes. Against this backdrop, 2025 carries an almost dissonant note. With seven fixtures left, FK Kauno Žalgiris are positioned to claim their first ever national championship. What appeared for years as a mid-table project—the rebranded continuation of Spyris, a modest Kaunas initiative—has become a disciplined, relentlessly effective contender.
The symbolism is not lost: a club without prior pedigree appended to a prominent basketball club, though from a city that once dominated the A Lyga competitive landscape, pressing its claim to reorder the league’s hierarchy away from Vilnius and back to Kaunas.
The unfolding of this campaign can be understood through three major inflection points. First, the early spring comeback at Šiauliai, when Amine Benchaib’s winner signalled that this Žalgiris side could impose itself even when pressed. Second, the late-August top-of-the-table clash, when a 2–1 victory over Hegelmann created the structural cushion that still defines the standings. And third, the European campaign, characterised by solid performances against the backdrop of terrible luck (3 red cards against Arda alone…).
Elsewhere in the Baltics
To grasp the significance of Kauno Žalgiris’ possible triumph, one must place it against the Baltic canvas. In Latvia, the hegemony of Skonto Riga (14 consecutive titles from 1991 to 2004) was eventually punctured, giving way to a plurality of winners: Ventspils, Liepāja, Spartaks, Riga FC, Valmiera, RFS. A once closed field became open, unstable, more competitive, catapulting the Virslīga well up the European rankings and past both Estonia and Lithuania, with clubs qualifying for Europa league main stages more than once. Estonia charts the opposite trajectory. There, Flora and Levadia have monopolised the Premium liiga, with Nõmme Kalju only occasionally disrupting the duopoly. The perpetual back-and-forth helped develop domestic talent but hampered investment and intrigue. Importantly, no club outside of Tallinn has ever lifted the title in modern times—a stark reminder of just how skewed the football landscape is in the northern Baltic.
Lithuania has historically leaned Estonia in its concentration of power. The emergence of Kauno Žalgiris suggests a potential re-alignment, a shift towards the Latvian pattern of dispersal and contestation. If they win, in addition to having New Champions, Lithuania will have 3 different Champions in as many years – something Latvia last had back in 2022 (with an added bonus of two New Champions back-to-back – RFS and Valmiera) and Estonia in 2016 (owing to a club that would merge into Levadia soon after). Lithuania was last in this situation back in distant 1999….
Not yet over the line
Mathematically, the title is not yet won. Hegelmann’s theoretical maximum remains within reach. Yet the calculus is shifting. If Kauno Žalgiris prevail in their direct encounter tomorrow, on October 1, the gap would extend to a margin that makes the run-in less about survival and more about choreography: how to convert inevitability into silverware. Should they falter, the race may yet carry its suspense into November.
What matters, however, is less the exact date of coronation than the fact of it. If Kauno Žalgiris hold their course, a ninth name will be etched into the A Lyga’s post-independence hall of footballing fame. And in doing so, they would signal that one of the most calcified domestic competitions in the region is more open to disruption and, by extension, to new investment and, perhaps even a new chapter?
Hegelmann is hosting Kauno Žalgiris tomorrow at 19:00 local time.
