This article is about the football club from Kaunas. For the football club from Vilnius, see
FK Žalgiris.
FK Kauno Žalgiris is a football club based in Kaunas. The team plays in the Lithuania A lyga.[1] The team's colors are green and white, they're the football section of the basketball club Žalgiris Kaunas.
Name history
- 2005 – FM Spyris Kaunas
- 2010 – Aisčiai Kaunas
- 2011 – FK Spyris Kaunas
- 2016 – FK Kauno Žalgiris
[2]
History
2004–2014
The idea of FK Spyris was raised in Kaunas football school Tauras in 2004, when coaches of the school decided to give opportunity for school graduates to continue their football career. For seven years since 2005 club played in LFF II league south zone tournament. In 2013 FK Spyris started to play in LFF I league and in 2015 it entered the highest, A lyga in Lithuania.[3]
2015
FK Spyris Kaunas made it official that they would like to join the premier Lithuanian football league for the 2015 season, on the first check up Spyris was accepted. Before 2015, it was announced that 6 new players will join the club Dzmitry Rekish, Giuseppe Palma (on loan from S.S.C. Napoli), Andrius Velička, Paulius Daukša, Klimas Gusočenko and Jevgenij Maroz. Before the start of the season, Spyris announced about cooperation with BC Žalgiris. On 1 March 2015, FK Spyris debuted in A Lyga beating FK Klaipėdos Granitas 2-1 in Kaunas. Spyris also played in Lithuanian Football Cup semi-final, but was defeated by FC Žalgiris Vilnius.[4]
In the beginning of 2016 season Spyris announced it changed its name to FK Kauno Žalgiris, becoming the football section of the namesake basketball club.
2016
In the beginning of 2016 season Spyris announced it changed its name to FK Kauno Žalgiris, becoming the football section of the namesake basketball club.
Although newly developing fan base were happy about it, the name change was shadowed by upcoming court, so the future of club's name was uncertain. Club started its preseason by signing a former Kaunas football school Tauras graduate Mantas Fridrikas. Later the club announced, their preseason losses, it was the oldest player in the team Audrius Kšanavičius who retired, mixed with winger Jevgenij Moroz and one of the best 2015 A lyga players Dzmitry Rekish. After a brief spell of silence, the club announced the signings of three new players just before the beginning of the season who were former FK Šiauliai right back Ernestas Pilypas, Russian winger Leonid Mushnikov, who also was part of Šiauliai team from 2011 to 2013 and 2013 Lithuanian Footballer of the Year Mindaugas Kalonas whose career at that time was on a downslide.
Stadium
Darius and Girėnas Stadium
The club plays its home matches at the Darius and Girėnas Stadium. Stadium is a multi-use stadium in the Ąžuolynas park in Žaliakalnis district of Kaunas, Lithuania. The all-seater stadium holds 9,180. In 1998 the stadium was renovated according to UEFA regulations, and in 2005 it was modernised with the installation of the biggest stadium television screen in the Baltic states. In early spring and late autumn Žalgiris use NFA stadium in Kaunas (capacity 500).
Kit
FK Žalgiris Kaunas colours are green and white, therefore the kit is green and white jersey and green and white variation of shorts and socks. In the past they used yellow and blue jersey. Away kits are usually plain white.
Kit manufacturer
| Kit manufacturer
 Joma
|
Crest
FK Kauno Žalgiris is using same logo as BC Žalgiris. Logo design: a green and white shield with the sign "BC Žalgiris", a basketball, and the letter "Ž". The club's name commemorates the victorious Battle of Žalgiris (Battle of Grunwald) (both names: Žalgiris and Grunwald are translated as "green grove").
Participation in Lithuanian championships
Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. |
|
Position |
Player
|
| 1 |
 |
GK |
Deividas Mikelionis
|
| 2 |
|
DF |
Rytis Daunys
|
| 3 |
|
DF |
Marius Miškinis
|
| 4 |
|
DF |
Ernestas Pilypas
|
| 6 |
|
MF |
Matas Gavrilovas
|
| 7 |
|
MF |
Karolis Gvildys
|
| 8 |
|
MF |
Tomas Bučma
|
| 9 |
 |
MF |
Andrey Chukhley
|
| 10 |
|
MF |
Mindaugas Kalonas
|
| 11 |
|
MF |
Lukas Sendžikas
|
| 13 |
|
MF |
Rokas Sikorskis
|
| 14 |
|
MF |
Benas Olencevičius
|
| 15 |
|
MF |
Karolis Šilkaitis
|
| 16 |
|
MF |
Rytas Babickas |
|
|
|
Youth squad
Hegelmann Litauen
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. |
|
Position |
Player
|
| 3 |
|
DF |
Marius Miškinis
|
| 6 |
|
DF |
Matas Gavrilovas
|
| 7 |
|
MF |
Karolis Gvildys
|
| 10 |
|
MF |
Mindaugas Kalonas
|
| 12 |
|
GK |
Karolis Pūras
|
| 13 |
|
MF |
Rokas Sikorskis
|
| 14 |
|
MF |
Benas Olencevičius
|
| 16 |
|
MF |
Rytas Babickas
|
| 18 |
|
MF |
Edvinas Kloniūnas
|
| 19 |
|
FW |
Ernestas Mickevičius
|
| 21 |
|
DF |
Darius Šinkūnas
|
| 29 |
|
MF |
Audrius Kšanavičius
|
| 30 |
|
MF |
Vytautas Liukaitis
|
| 31 |
|
DF |
Dovydas Sinkus |
|
|
| No. |
|
Position |
Player
|
| 32 |
|
MF |
Mantas Zabiela
|
| 33 |
|
GK |
Modestas Stonys
|
| 34 |
|
DF |
Algirdas Kvalkauskas
|
| 36 |
|
MF |
Pijus Širvys
|
| 37 |
|
MF |
Alanas Gulbinas
|
| 38 |
|
MF |
Kasparas Neverdauskas
|
| 42 |
|
MF |
Povilas Malakas
|
| 43 |
|
DF |
Domas Levišauskas
|
| 46 |
|
MF |
Laurynas Veščiūnas
|
| 51 |
|
DF |
Mantas Jakutavičius
|
| 52 |
|
MF |
Edgaras Kloniūnas
|
| 55 |
|
MF |
Karolis Palaima
|
| 88 |
|
MF |
Mindaugas Zlatkus
|
| 80 |
|
FW |
Donatas Stulga |
|
[5]
Technical staff
| Position | Name |
| Chairman | Eimantas Pūras |
| Head coach | Laimis Bičkauskas |
| Assistant Coach | Rimvydas Kochanauskas |
| Assistant Coach | Audrius Kšanavičius |
Notable players
References
