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Vilnius "Žalgiris" football players finished their holidays. Today, the team, led by the new head coach Igoris Pankratjevas, gathered for their first training session and started preparing slowly for the new season.
The official "A Lyga" website alyga.lt interviewed "Žalgiris" strategist I. Pankratjevas. The coach admitted that there aren't many new faces in the team yet. The capital's club has not yet summoned any foreigners, and a few former Žalgiris players are participating in the team review.
Working with former teammates is easier
- Was the invitation to become the head coach of "Žalgiris" very unexpected for you?
- I can say that my return to "Žalgiris" was both unexpected and a very responsible step. Before, I was even afraid to dream that I could become the coach of a team with such a famous past.
- The club president Arminas Narbekovas and your assistant Vyacheslavas Sukristovas are former teammates. Surely this is a big advantage, as you played together for many years, and understand each other better?
- I have already felt that we understand each other better, so it will be easier to work. However, we will not avoid arguments and even some anger. It's natural. We will make every effort to regain the positions that "Žalgiris" used to have.
R. Vileniskis is training with Žalgiris players
- How many players participated in the first team training session?
- More than twenty. Most of the players represented Žalgiris last year. There are guys from Vilnius "Polonija", we need to see what they are worth. The brothers Artūras and Igoris Steško, who played for Vilnius "Vētra" last year, are participating in the team review. Together with the team, Raimondas Vilėniškis, who competed in Poland, is training.
For now, we will train outdoors and indoors, and later we will train in an arena.
- Do you not promise to bring back Algis Jankauskas, who is not needed by the Perm "Amkar" club?
- A. Jankauskas' contract with "Amkar" still has two years left. We would have to rent him. Do you know how expensive it is to rent a player from a Russian club? Very expensive. If our goal next season was to become Lithuanian champions, then we could think about such a step. However, this year we do not have such a goal. We hope to gradually move up.
No foreign players yet
- There are no foreigners in the team review and there won't be?
- Not yet. Will there be? We will see.
- It is already known for sure that Tomas Mikuckis, Karolis Jasaitis, Andrejus Šilo have parted ways with "Žalgiris." There are probably more players who will not play for the team anymore?
- In addition to that, veterans Andrejus Tereškinas and Ramūnas Stonkus will not be playing.
- When will you play your next friendly match?
- On January 22 at the Vilnius "Sportima" arena, we will test our strength against Borisov's BATE (Belarus).
- Will you be training in Vilnius in January?
- Yes, we will be training in Vilnius this month. A training camp in Turkey was planned for the beginning of February, but today during the team meeting, the club president mentioned that due to bird flu, we may have to cancel the trip to Turkey. We may go to another country. Either way, in February we expect to train not in Vilnius. It's useful to change the environment.
