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In this year's Lithuanian Football Championship of 2014, there will be one more participant - 10 teams will compete in the "SMSCredit.lt A Lyga". According to the sports results, the league was supplemented by "Klaipėdos Granitas" and "Trakai", with "Tauras" from Tauragė being relegated.
On Monday, at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF), the numbers of participants and regulations of the upcoming season in the A and I leagues were approved.
Two teams rise up, while "Tauras" is relegated.
Last season, 9 teams competed in the national championship - Vilnius MFD "Žalgiris", Klaipėda "Atlantas", Panevėžys "Ekranas", Marijampolė "Sūduva", Pakruojis "Kruoja", Gargždai "Banga", "Šiauliai", Alytus "Dainava", and Tauragė "Tauras".
Requests to participate in the 2014 league were also submitted by "Klaipėdos Granitas", "Trakai", and Kaunas "Spyris". All 12 clubs were granted A league licenses.
The LFF Executive Committee agreed to expand the league to 10 teams and select participants according to the sporting criteria stipulated in the LFF competition regulations.
The last place in the 2013 "SMSCredit.lt A Lyga", Tauragė's "Tauras", was relegated to the I league.
In the I league there are 13 participants. In the 2013 season, 12 teams (excluding "Klaipėdos Granitas" and "Trakai") competed in the I league championship - Kėdainiai "Nevėžis", Kazlų Rūda "Šilas", Kaunas "Spyris", Jonava "Lietava", Radviliškis "Lokomotyvas", Vilnius "Žalgiris-3", Šilutė "Šilutė", Vilnius "Polonija", Panevėžys "Baltija", and "Palanga".
Three newcomers who received I league licenses - Utena "Utenis", Kaunas "Stumbras", and Vilnius MRU - as well as the last remaining "Tauras" have joined them. Vilnius "Polonija" team did not participate in the licensing.
"Baltija" and "Palanga" did not receive I league licenses, but by decision of the LFF Executive Committee, they were added to the league with a three-point deficit. Clubs are required to submit the missing documents to the licensing department by April 10th.
The reserve team championships will be held in two rounds. The LFF Executive Committee also approved the 2014 LFF competition regulations.
One of the key changes is in the A league reserve team championships. This year, they will be held in 2 rounds instead of 4. For the next season, the championships will be reorganized according to a newly created project.
As in previous years, following discussions, it was decided to maintain the existing limit of 5 foreign players in the Lithuanian championship. By decision of the Executive Committee, it was also decided that teams in the I league cannot register foreign players. The number of players from the subsidiary teams of I league clubs who can compete in the II league has been reduced from 5 to 3.
On Tuesday, February 11th, the schedule for the "SMSCredit.lt A Lyga" will be drawn. The championship will be held in a four-round system and will start on March 8-9.
