Most Effective A League Player L. Antalis: Strong Teams Know How to Bounce Back

2024-10-22 17:50 © Elvio Žaldario

"Žalgirio” attack leader Liviu Antalis stated after the golden match that doubts about his return became motivation to reach new heights.

In the match against "Dainava,” the legionnaire from Romania scored two goals and provided an assist. The champion title he claimed is his second – with "Žalgiris,” he also won in the 2019 season.

"We won the title after a season break. Of course, when you win, everything is good. Naturally, there were tough moments. As I mentioned, strong and good teams know how to bounce back. We saw that today; we didn’t leave any chances for our opponents. I am happy to be part of this team. I thank the coach, the director, and the players. Everyone did a great job,” stated L. Antalis.

According to him, achieving the goal was aided by a good atmosphere within the team: "After last season, many players left. We became like a real Team. That is very important. If you want to achieve something – you must be a team. To be like a family. When something isn’t working, it’s important to help each other. To support each other. Last year, we lacked that. This year, everyone was involved, focused. For us, it was truly a good season.”

At the end of last season, L. Antalis underwent surgery, and he returned to training just before the new season started. Despite this, the forward is the league's top scorer, with 18 goals.

"After my injury, many questioned whether I would return, how I would look, whether I could help the team. This was motivation for me. Before the season, I even bet that I would score more than 15 goals. I succeeded in that. I’m happy to be scoring. I enjoy every moment in football, as I know my journey is nearing its end. Maybe I’ll play for another season or two. I want to enjoy every moment in football,” said the Romanian. "My family – my daughter, my wife – helped me bounce back a lot because they believe in me. They told me that I am strong and that I can come back. I remember when I had surgery, and it was a tough moment. I worked 4 hours every day to get back. The results are starting to come. I played my first match after 4 months and 10 days, although they predicted my return after 6 months. Thank God I am here. Thank you for the trust and support. Without my teammates, I wouldn’t have achieved such numbers. This season [across all competitions], I scored 20 goals and made 5 assists. There are 4 matches left, and I want to play until the end. I hope to score as many goals as possible. For me, each goal is like a small celebration.”