© EuroFootball.com
"Atlantas" football players Donatas Kazlauskas and Dovydas Virkšas, who spent a week in the famous London club "Arsenal," returned to Klaipėda on Saturday night from the English capital.
"Everything went smoothly," said D.Virkšas. "Upon arriving in London, we were greeted. We were accommodated near the club's base, which is located in the outskirts of the city, in a hotel. It was a ten-minute walk from there to the training center."
Training sessions with the reserve "Arsenal" team took place every day. However, on Thursday, the Klaipėda players had to train with younger footballers, as the London club's U-21 team was playing reserve team matches against "Fulham" peers. The training sessions were intensive, long, lasting no less than two hours.
According to D.Kazlauskas, most of the time during training was focused on the "area" exercise, where players divided into two groups would try to keep the ball for as long as possible with one or two touches. This way, they would often "play" with the ball within a square. The Lithuanians only played real football, divided into two teams, once.
D.Virkšas mentioned that there were players of various levels in the "Arsenal" reserve team. "Some footballers were indeed of a good level, but there were also weaker ones," admitted the Klaipėda player.
Two coaches led the training sessions. The club's head coach Arsene Wenger never visited the reserve footballers. However, undoubtedly, he was provided with detailed information about the Lithuanians.
"We saw A.Wenger every evening in the club's dining room, but we didn't talk," said D.Virkšas. "We didn't even have dinner together, as was written in Lithuania."
One day, both Klaipėda players received a gift. The club allocated £100 each and a car with a driver to show Donatas Kazlauskas and D.Virkšas around London.
Upon returning home, the Lithuanians were accompanied by favorable impressions from representatives of the "Arsenal" club. The English shared their impressions with "Atlantas" head coach Konstantin Sarsania, sending an email.
"The Klaipėda players showed themselves in the best light," was written in the letter from "Arsenal's" general manager. On Tuesday, K.Sarsania and representatives of the "Arsenal" club will talk over the phone about the future of the footballers.
