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Having started to form a new team early, finishing in fourth place in the last season of the "A Lyga," Vilnius has signed a two-year contract with one of Lithuania's national team goalkeepers Vaidas Žutautas.
Since this season the main goalkeeper of "Vėtra," Ramūnas Merkelis, was quite unreliable, the club decided to part ways with him halfway through the season and brought in a foreign player from Georgia, Mirza Merlani, but he also did not shine much. Later, the Georgian player got injured and R. Merkelis had to return to the team.
The capital team did not finish the season very successfully and lost the battle for third place to "Sūduva." Therefore, the club president Romas Stašauskas decided to make changes - the contract with coach Sergejus Borovskis was not renewed and Edgaras Gessas was appointed in his place. Experienced V. Žutautas was invited to take on the role of "Vėtra" goalkeeper.
Starting his 34-year career at Mažeikiai "Romar," later representing Šiauliai "Karedai" and playing in clubs in Belgium and Israel, three years ago he returned to his homeland and played for the then Vilnius "Šviesa" (now - "Vilnius"), then moved to Šiauliai, where he played this year as well. In the 2005 season, the goalkeeper finished his career at Marijampolė's "Sūduva." The player has become a country champion three times and has won the cup twice, representing the Lithuanian national team 10 times.
Aside from acquiring an experienced goalkeeper, "Vėtra" also decided to bring in a specialist from abroad to help improve the skills of the main and young goalkeepers in the club, including Arvydas Kacinkevičius, who has played for the Lithuanian youth national team. 45 years old Olympic champion from Seoul, Aleksejus Prudnikovas, who worked as a coach for Moscow "Spartak" a few years ago, should soon arrive in Vilnius.
