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Approaching summer, most of the European leagues have ended or are nearing the end of the season. Clubs where players from Lithuania played are no exception. Countries that play in the Autumn-Spring model seasons have already finished, so today we will review the performances of seven Lithuanian players this year.
Bulgaria:
Valdemar Borovskij (31 years old) - "Beroe"
2014-2015 season:
A Group - 2 matches (36 minutes);
Bulgarian Cup - 2 matches (104 minutes).
The defender who moved to Bulgaria in January started the first two matches in the starting lineup and seemed to be a key player. However, in the sixteenth minute of the fifteenth match, he received a red card which kept the Lithuanian on the bench for a long time. Throughout the season, Valdemar appeared only twice, both times as a substitute, playing only 36 minutes. However, the team had a great season - they finished second in the Bulgarian league and earned the right to participate in the Europa League matches next year.
Next season: If this year was great for the player's club, it was definitely not the same for Borovskij. After playing only four matches, he surely did not raise his value in the transfer market. If the current club does not want to keep the experienced Lithuanian defender in their squad, Borovskij will have to work hard this summer to find offers from clubs of similar capacity.
Denmark:
Lukas Spalvis (20 years old) - "Aalborg"
2014-2015 season:
Superliga - 6 matches (215 minutes);
Champions League - 2 matches (133 minutes).
In the first five matches of the season, Lukas Spalvis suffered a complex cruciate ligament injury and returned to the field only after nine months of treatment and rehabilitation. Before the injury, the Lithuanian appeared in all the club's matches in the starting lineup, but after the injury, he only played three matches, all as substitutes, totaling only 20 minutes. The season also did not go well for the attacking club - after last year's success where they won the country's champions title and cup, this year they were left without titles and finished only fifth in the Danish league.
Next season: The "Aalborg" club had at least four equivalent forwards this season, so the competition in the team was serious. After the two seasons with these players in the main lineup, their contracts will expire this year, so the Danish team will have to decide which forwards they want to see in the team next season. After recovering from a serious injury, Lukas Spalvis will definitely not receive the same attention from other clubs as he did last year when his season was much more successful, so it is likely that the Lithuanian with a long-term contract with the club will stay in his team for another year, during which he will have to fight for a place in the starting "Aalborg" eleven again.
Russia:
Tomas Mikuckis (32 years old) - "Torpedo Moscow"
2014-2015 season:
Premier Liga - 10 matches (792 minutes).
Missing the first part of the season due to an injury, Mikuckis returned in the second half and made his debut in the highest Russian league. Playing ten matches in the first half of the season, the Lithuanian established himself in the "Torpedo" team towards the end of the season, but the club remained in the penultimate place and lost their spot in the next year's Premier League competition.
Next season: The Lithuanian's contract with the club has expired, but even if it had not, the defender would not have stayed in the ranks of "Torpedo" - a financial crisis hit the team at the end of the season, and with the team falling out of the top league, bankruptcy looms. Mikuckis is already 32 years old, so this summer is very important for the Lithuanian if he wants to continue playing in high-level competitions - as his career nears its end, wasting a year is not an option.
Edgaras Cesnauskis (31 years old) - "Rostov"
2014-2015 season:
Two seasons without professional football - this is the period Edgaras Cesnauskis went through. Although he was brought back to the team in October, he only played four matches, and then the Lithuanian was not registered for the matches again. The only positive thing that can be noted in this season - he was the last in Edgaras's contract, and from July 1 Cesnauskis will become a free agent.
Next season: Over the past two years, there have been no rumors about Cesnauskis moving to another team. There were various rumors - from the quite common Russian, Kazakh, and Azerbaijani clubs for Lithuanians, to the second tier team in England or even an exotic team from the United Arab Emirates. However, it is clear that even after two years without serious football, the interest in Cesnauskis will still be there, so we have to wait and see what career path and what club the 31-year-old player will choose.
Slovenia:
Vykintas Slivka (20 years old) - ND Gorica
2014-2015 season:
Prva Liga - 12 matches (1032 minutes) - 1 goal;
Primavera A - 5 matches (450 minutes) - 1 goal.
The first half of the season at Modena FC 1912 club was very unpleasant for Vykintas Slivka - the Lithuanian did not even get a chance to play in Serie B matches, and the five matches in the Italian youth league were surely not what the midfielder expected when he was loaned to the Juventus team. So after the new year, the player moved to Slovenia and immediately got a chance to show himself - playing twelve matches and scoring one goal. Although Slivka missed the decisive match of the Gorica team in the relegation battle due to being called up to the national team, the second half of the season was much better for the midfielder. Even better was his debut in the Lithuanian national team, where he immediately found his place on the field, and in the matches against Switzerland, he was one of the most noticeable Lithuanian national team players.
Next season: Vykintas belongs to the Champions League finalist Juventus team, so it is naive to expect that he will open the first team doors next season. It is likely that, like this year, the midfielder will be loaned to another team. The most important task for Slivka in the offseason is to learn from the mistakes of this year and choose a club so that the scenario that was in Modena FC 1912 club, where the Lithuanian did not even make his debut, does not happen again. Meanwhile, while the Juventus team finds a team to send the talented "Ecrano" disciple for these years, he will have to wait and make the most of every training moment with the Champions League finalists.
Scotland:
Marius Zaliukas (31 years old) - "Rangers"
2014-2015 season:
Championship - 19 matches (1496 minutes) - 2 goals;
Premiership Play-offs - 6 matches (496 minutes);
Challenge Cup - 2 matches (153 minutes);
League Cup - 1 match (90 minutes).
This season, Marius Zaliukas moved to the second tier of Scottish football with the aim of returning to the highest division with the "Rangers" team next year. Unfortunately, this legendary team had a fiasco - not only did they not win the Championship, but they also suffered a defeat in the play-off series for the Premiership, losing to "Motherwell" with a total score of 1-6. Zaliukas, despite frequent injuries, secured a solid place in the "Rangers" defense and played 28 matches.
Next season: The Lithuanian's contract with the "Rangers" club is valid for another year, so if the club and the defender do not want to make serious changes, Marius will play in the Championship next year. This time the team will have to fight for promotion to the top league - four years without the "Rangers," and already too long a period for fans of this team and all of Scotland's competitions.
Turkey:
Zydrunas Karcemarskas (32 years old) - "Gaziantepspor"
2014-2015 season:
Super Lig - 26 matches (2289 minutes) - 35 goals conceded (1.35 per match), 9 "clean sheet" matches.
These years were the best in Zydrunas's career - he not only helped the "Gaziantepspor" team to finish tenth in the Turkish league, but he also impressively saved his team from conceding goals many times. The Lithuanian's performance was appreciated by the specialists of the Turkish championship, who more than once named Karcemarskas as one of the best goalkeepers in the league. If not for a head injury, which kept the goalkeeper out of six matches during which "Gaziantepspor" did not win, Zydrunas and his team's season could have been even better.
Next season: Karcemarskas's contract with the team is valid for another year, but there are almost constant rumors in Turkey that the not-so-rich "Gaziantepspor" club will take advantage of the opportunity to sell the Lithuanian and profit from one of the best players in their team. There is no doubt that after another successful season, interest in Karcemarskas will not decrease, so we have to wait and see if the Turkish team will receive attractive offers and if Karcemarskas will move to play elsewhere, or if the Lithuanian will stay with "Gaziantepspor" for another season.
