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Over the weekend, Irmantas Zelmikas, who scored a goal for "Kruoja" against Šiauliai, believes that "Kruoja" is capable of competing with all A League teams, but it won't be easy against any of them. For the 32-year-old defender who signed a 1+1 contract with the Pakruojis team, football is both work and hobby. "I don't want to end my career yet," smiles the experienced footballer.
- Irmantas, it's been a few days since the lost match against "Šiauliai". What went wrong last Sunday?
- Maybe we were a bit overwhelmed by the importance of the game. Maybe we were a bit "burned out". It felt like a derby. There was a lot of talk about it in the press before the match, many interviews were conducted.
- You scored a goal from a set piece, but you also conceded two goals from set pieces. Why couldn't you defend better?
- "Šiauliai" have five or six tall players, which we don't have in our team. Maybe we lacked focus too. The good pass from my teammate set up my goal.
- With the score at 1:2, Gvidas Juška equalized, but the referee disallowed the goal. Was the offside correctly called?
- My teammates said there was no offside. We watched the video recording, but it was from the side, so it's hard to judge the episode. The referee had a better view, but Gvidas scored after a pass from the corner. It was difficult to be offside.
- Is "Kruoja" capable of beating "Šiauliai" in the upcoming rounds?
- There are no unbeatable teams. In the Lithuanian championship, there is no "Barcelona", so any A League team can be beaten. The match between Vilnius REO and Panevezys "Ekranas" confirmed that you can compete with everyone, but it won't be easy against anyone.
Leaders will emerge after four or five rounds
- How do you evaluate the start of the season?
- We've only played two matches, so it's too early to judge. The strength of the teams will become clearer after the fourth or fifth round. Then we will no longer play on indoor or artificial turf. Honestly, it's tiring. Many players have sore legs, injuries are piling up. Currently, Giedrius Slavickas and Sergey Zigalov cannot help "Kruoja".
- Did Pakrujo's team's preparation differ from other teams?
- Each coach has his own vision, prepares the players differently for the season. However, the preparation in all teams is more or less similar. It was normal for me, sometimes challenging. Of course, it's better to train in the Marijampole indoor arena than outdoors when it's 30 degrees cold. "Ekranas" prepared for the season in Spain, where everything is ideal. Now they will need time to adjust to Lithuanian conditions, artificial turf.
- What impression do the team's foreign players leave?
- Their performance is seen and evaluated by the coaches, club management, and fans. We are one team and we fight with all our might. Young players are promising. Some of them find it difficult to play from the start of the match, but coming on as substitutes can really help on the field.
- What is the atmosphere like in the team?
- Good. We all live together. I'm from Kaunas, but last year I represented Gargzdai "Bangai", so I'm used to smaller towns. However, it doesn't have much influence, as most of the time is taken up by training and rest. So the day passes by inadvertently.
Ready to fight
- Why did you decide to accept the offer from "Kruoja"?
- The Pakruojis team contacted me and said that serious tasks would be set for the team. I knew that this was one of the most stable clubs in Lithuania. Those were the main reasons.
- You chose an unusual number - 39. Why?
- That's what was left. The number doesn't matter to me. I play with a different one in every club.
- The goal for the Pakruojos team is to aim for medals. How realistic is that?
- In every match, we must give one hundred percent. If we play with one foot, we won't achieve anything. The season is long, we can't say we will beat all teams. There will be failures. Achieving the goal will also require luck. Our main competitors will be "Ekranas" Marijampole, "Sūduva", Vilnius "Žalgiris", and "Šiauliai".
- The next match is on Sunday against "Žalgiris". What do you think about the opponent?
- It's a good team with many young players. It's impossible to judge their performance based on just the first two matches. The first match was in Gargzdai, perhaps nerves played a role. Also, Gargzdai loves football, so "Žalgiris" had to deal with the pressure from the fans. The second match against Klaipeda's "Atlantas" was not difficult for Žalgiris
We must play not like in Šiauliai, but improve our game. We will need to focus and fight. It won't be easy for either us or "Žalgiris".
Painful for the popularity of football in Lithuania
- Tell us briefly about your career.
- I started attending football training in my hometown of Telšiai. I was seven years old. At the age of 13, I went to a boarding school in Vilnius. It wasn't easy to leave my parents and friends, but I loved football and thought I would achieve something by moving. At 17, I joined "Inkaras" in Kaunas. Later, I played in Kaunas, for the Belarusian team MTZ-Ripo. Then I returned to Kaunas. When that club collapsed, I moved to Marijampole's "Sūduva". I also played in Israel. Finally, I returned to Lithuania.
- Are you a true Žemaitija (Samogitian)?
- Now maybe I'm a Kaunas resident. But I was born in Telšiai, so sometimes a Samogitian stubbornness comes out (laughs - author's note).
- You often change clubs. Why?
- There was quite a competition in Kaunas. I didn't want to sit on the bench, so I was loaned to one or another team. Later I would return to Kaunas. It was interesting to challenge myself abroad, see something new.
- Were the best years of your career spent in Kaunas?
- I think so. The last years were especially good when we beat Glasgow "Rangers". I also played against "Liverpool". It feels great. Moreover, at that time the English team was the champion of the Champions League.
- Do football conditions abroad differ greatly from Lithuania?
- The football conditions in Lithuania and probably in every other country are different. The interest in football, the fans, everything is different everywhere. Football is talked about and written about a lot. In our country, you can only watch football matches online, there is a lack of stadiums. Abroad, both the pitches and stadiums are good. Matches are watched by not just hundreds or a couple of hundred spectators, as in Lithuania, but many more.
- You have played 13 matches for the Lithuanian national team. Do you still hope for a call-up?
- Not really. The national team coaches focus on younger players, preparing them for the future.
- Who from "Kruoja" could open the doors to the national team?
- The youngest player Ernestas Veliulis. He is talented, he just needs to work hard. Artūras Žulpa is also promising. However, the coaches or national team strategists will not overlook their imperfections. If they have the will and work hard, many of them can make it to the national team.
