© EuroFootball.com
On Friday, the referee team from Lithuania, led by Kaunas native Gediminas Mažeika, will be officiating at the famous London Wembley Stadium. The Lithuanians have been appointed to officiate the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier match between the national teams of England and San Marino.
Over the weekend, G.Mažeika led the battle between the leaders of the Lithuanian championship in Vilnius, the local "Žalgiris" and Panevėžys "Ekranas", and now he is preparing with his colleagues for the trip to the English capital.
G.Mažeika, who has had FIFA category since 2008, will be supported by experienced referees Vytautas Šimkus and Saulius Dirda in the refereeing of the match on October 12 in the final of the European Youth Championships. Sergėjus Slyva will be the reserve referee.
The World Cup qualifier match in Group H of the European zone will take place right in the heart of English football - the legendary Wembley Stadium. The stadium, which can accommodate 90,000 people, is the second largest in Europe. UEFA Champions League final was held here last year and will return to London in 2013.
Jonas Braga, the president of the Lithuanian Football Referees Association (LFTA), said that officiating a match in such a stadium is a dream for referees.
"It is a joy that Lithuanians will be officiating for the England national football team and at Wembley Stadium. This is every referee's dream," said the LFTA leader.
This is not the first encounter of Lithuanian football referees with English football in its capital. Last year, G.Mažeika and his assistants officiated UEFA Europa League matches in London, where the local "Tottenham Hotspurs" played against the Dublin "Shamrock Rovers" (Ireland) club.
