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The vice-champions of Lithuania, Panevėžys, have started strengthening for the new season and have called Deimantas Bičkas, a veteran who said goodbye to "Ventspils", as well as Lithuania's youth national team and Kėdainiai "Nevėžis" defender Žilvinas Banys, along with five foreigners - three Slovaks, a Serb, and a Czech. This is reported by the newspaper "Panevėžio balsas".
The 34-year-old Panevėžys native, who last year won the Latvian championship title for the first time in the history of the club with "Ventspils", but after the season, his and another experienced Lithuanian legionnaire Igor Stukalin's contracts were not renewed. The defender also had an offer from Vilnius' "Žalgiris", but decided to choose the team of his hometown.
Also starting training with the "Ekranas" team is Lithuania's youth national team defender who played half of the season with the I league's "Kauno Jėgeriai" and ended the season with the Kaunas "Nevėžis" team, which got relegated from the A league.
Three Slovaks also joined the Panevėžys team on Wednesday, most likely scouted by the current "Ekranas" strategist Saulius Širmelis, who previously coached the Prešov "Tatran" club.
The 25-year-old goalkeeper Liuboš Vojtaško arrived from the Slovak top league club "Košice", left-back Filip Hedera from the "Trenčin" team, and defender Lubomir Jurčo from the lower league team "Podbrezova".
According to the club's official website, the "Ekranas" trial will also include 29-year-old Serbian goalkeeper Bogdan Stefanovič, who has previously played for Prague's "Sparta" and Rimavska Sobota's "Tauris", and worked with S. Širmelis at the "Tatran" team last season, as well as a Czech player who will join the team at the training camp in Palanga.
In January, the Panevėžys team will play friendly matches on the 17th and 20th against Klaipėda's "Atlantas" and Marijampolė's "Sūduva", and before that, this Saturday in Riga they will play against the local team "Skonto".
