© EuroFootball.com
In the 2005 Lithuanian "A Lyga" championship, Vilnius, who finished fourth, is increasing its ambitions and hopes for better results in the upcoming season, with more beautiful play, more spectators, as they prepare a stadium reconstruction project.
The basis for optimism is the addition of a new sponsor from Russia, Anton Treushnikov, to the club's management. Therefore, "Vetra's" budget will be significantly larger next year, and the coaching staff has been complemented by specialists from abroad.
The new sponsor is related to sports. On Tuesday in Vilnius, the capital club held a press conference attended by "Vetra's" president Romas Stasauskas, the new club board member Anton Treushnikov, and two other newcomers - the team's head coach Edgar Gessas and the club's sports director Aleksejus Prudnikovas, who will also work as the goalkeeper coach.
"There are significant changes happening in our club. A. Treushnikov has been added to the board. His arrival is related to new sponsors and new financial opportunities. We already see some initial results - the team will be coached by E. Gessas and A. Prudnikovas. Aleksejus will also work as the club's sports director," said R. Stasauskas.
"I am a Russian citizen and have known R. Stasauskas for a long time. When Romas offered me to become a club partner, I immediately agreed. I work for a company closely related to sports. In Russia, the company helps children's and youth football teams, and we collaborate with Moscow's "Lokomotiv" club and other sports organizations.
There are long-standing good relations between Lithuania and Russia, so we decided to work in Lithuania as well, to help develop football. We will strive to raise "Vetra" to a higher level. Our immediate goals are to reconstruct the club's base, attract as many spectators as possible to the matches. We plan to do a lot of work with the fans and try to ensure that at least a third of the stadium is filled during each "Vetra" match. We will strive for the media to actively cover "Vetra's" activities, and aim for the team's home matches to be televised," said the new sponsor of the Vilnius club, A. Treushnikov.
The main focus will be on promising Lithuanian players. According to him, the team will have training camps in Turkey next season, looking for stronger opponents in friendly matches.
"Perhaps this year a general sponsor of the club will be found. "Vetra's" budget will be sufficient for the footballers to achieve their goals," promised A. Treushnikov. The new sponsor stated that they will focus on young Lithuanian footballers, not inviting many players from Russia or Germany to the team.
"We will try to interest the youth in football, so we will organize various events. We will try to form a "Vetra" fan club even in Russia, as sports unite people," said A. Treushnikov.
The new "Vetra" strategist E. Gessas assured that the invitation to become the Vilnius team's coach was unexpected for him. "We will pay the most attention to young Lithuanian footballers. I looked at the team's roster and saw that there are ten promising boys born in 1986 - 1987. We will not rush to invite any foreigners. If we sign contracts, it will only be with high-level foreign footballers," said E. Gessas. He informed that the team will start the training camp on January 9th in Palanga and later will prepare for the season in Turkey. The coach emphasized that he will strive for "Vetra" to have its playing style.
Expecting good results in the "Intertoto" tournament. R. Stasauskas expressed his joy that there are ten footballers in "Vetra" who are invited to various age group Lithuanian youth national teams, but he regretted that the former team strategist Sergey Borovskis did not give them the opportunity to shine. The president of "Vetra" said that next season he hopes the team will achieve a lot in the "Intertoto" tournament. "I am convinced that E. Gessas will turn the team around for the better. This year the team did not show beautiful football, so the spectators did not choose to attend matches. I myself told the coach and players that if I were a spectator, I wouldn't go to the stadium after the first "Vetra" match," stated R. Stasauskas.
"It was nice that I received an invitation from "Vetra" to work as the club's sports director and goalkeeper coach. Through my hands have passed Gintaras Stauce and Zydrunas Karcemarskas. Now I see another talented goalkeeper - Arvydas Kacinkevicius. We will work with him, I believe that the guy has a bright future," said Seoul Olympic champion A. Prudnikovas.
"Vetra" said goodbye to several players. The people of Vilnius have already signed a two-year contract with one newcomer - the experienced 34-year-old goalkeeper Vaidas Zutautas, who started last season in Siauliai's "Siauliai" team and ended in Marijampole's "Suduva."
There will be many changes in "Vetra's" lineup next year. The club president stated that, without a doubt, there will be no Arturas and Igoris Steshkos, Nerijus Vasiliauskas, Zydrunas Grudzinskas in the team. The club is likely to part ways with the black foreign player from Nigeria Awenayeri Douglas and with Georgian Mirza Merlani.
Projected stadium reconstruction. At the end of the conference, club president Romas Stasauskas and financial sponsor A. Treushnikovas also presented journalists with the planned visual image of the Vilnius "Vetra" stadium reconstruction. It was announced that the design work for such a stadium is beginning.
Although a year and a half ago, the "Vetra" stadium, which is the best in the capital and has become the home field of the Lithuanian national team, was completely finished, this year it has already been reconstructed a couple of times - artificial lighting has been installed and a new additional stand behind the goals. In the future, the club plans to have an even better stadium, capable of accommodating from 5 to 9 thousand spectators.
