Kaunas Žalgiris and Vikings compete in Riga for the Baltic Futsal League trophy.

2025-01-18 12:59

The Baltic futsal league, which started in October and unites two countries, has reached its climax. This coming weekend, decisive matches will take place in Riga, after which it will be determined who will win the main tournament trophy.

Representing Lithuania, the clubs "Kauno Žalgiris" and Jonavos "Vikingai" will begin the decisive stage from the lower positions – Kaunas from the third, and the "Vikingai" from the fourth. It is worth reminding that in the first stage, both Lithuanian representatives lost to both Riga FC and RFS clubs.

The winners of the first stage were the players of Riga FC, who will face the "Vikingai" in the semifinals. The winner of this match will earn a spot in the tournament final, while the loser will compete for the bronze medal.

"This weekend promises truly high-level matches. I think it will be a great opportunity to prepare even better for the rest of the season. Yes, in the first stage we had to acknowledge the superiority of Riga FC, but that was quite a while ago. Our game has changed since then, so it will be interesting to see what level we are at now," said "Vikingai" captain Paulius Osauskas.

Comparing the start of the season to now, there is no doubt that we have advanced and are fulfilling the coach's requirements more confidently. There definitely is a greater bond among the team players, the lack of which previously hindered us from competing for better results.

We are going to Riga to fight for the highest results, and how we will fare – we will see during the match," captain Paulius Osauskas added.

After this semifinal, RFS and "Kauno Žalgiris," who finished in second and third places in the first stage, will step onto the field again. In October, the Riga team triumphed in their mutual duel with a score of 4:2.

"Every match is important for our team, and this one is no exception. In the Baltic league, all teams are of the highest level, so playing against such strong opponents is a very good challenge. I did not participate in the first stage, so it's hard to say anything, but from what I observed in the matches, it was yet another proof that if chances are not taken and if we relax even a little, the opponents tend to be superior," remarked RFS player.

Our team’s form is certainly not bad, although after the New Year, we probably have not had a full training session with all players. Some are injured, others are sick, but overall the team’s form is quite good, and I believe that is visible in the Lithuanian championship matches.

It's a pity that I will not be able to help the team again, as I will be with the U-19 futsal national team coaching staff in Druskininkai for the European Championship qualifiers. Nevertheless, the team goal is undoubtedly clear – to become champions," commented "Kauno Žalgiris" captain Justinas Zagurskas.

Schedule for the final stage of the Baltic league:

January 25 at 1:00 PM Riga FC – "Vikingai"

January 25 at 3:30 PM RFS – "Kauno Žalgiris"

January 26 at 12:00 PM match for 3rd place

January 26 at 3:00 PM Final