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The 2006 season in Vilnius will start significantly changed - recently the club signed contracts with several newcomers, besides many footballers have already left the team or are currently participating in trials for other teams. However, the core of the team should remain, as the club's management has kept several of their key players.
"We have signed contracts with the brothers Artūras and Igoris Steško, Andrius Puotkalis, Raimondas Vilėniškis," - officially told the head coach of "Žalgiris" team Igor Pankratjevas to the "A lyga" website alyga.lt.
Last season, the 29-year-old twins Artūras and Igoris Steško wore the shirts of Vilnius "Vėtra". Igoris was a key player in the capital's team, while Artūras mostly came off the bench. However, after an unsuccessful season when the coaching staff changed, there was no place for them in the club, so both players decided to return to "Žalgiris".
The 25-year-old forward Andrius Puotkalis started the 2005 season at "Kauno" club, represented them until mid-July, then moved to Klaipėda's "Atlantas", but was released from the seaside team at the beginning of October. "Žalgiris" did not sign the player from "Kauno", as the Lithuanian vice-champions club had already issued him a release letter.
The 29-year-old defender R. Vilėniškis, who spent a large part of his career with the Panevėžys "Ekranas" team, after two years spent with "Žalgiris" moved to Poland and played there for a couple of seasons. Last year, the Lithuanian briefly returned to Vilnius and wore the "Žalgiris" shirt for a while, but then tried his luck again in Poland and represented the Radom "Radomiak" team.
During the offseason, the legendary Vilnius club bid farewell to retired careers of Andrejus Tereškinas and Ramūnas Stonkus, as well as to Tomas Mikuckis and Karolis Jasaitis who moved to Marijampolė's "Sūduva", and the return of Belarusian Andrejus Šilo to his homeland.
Former "Žalgiris" defender Andrius Jokšas is participating in the tryout of Simferopol's "Tavria" (Ukraine), forward Martynas Karalius tried to establish himself at Minsk's "Dinamo" (Belarus) club. Goalkeeper Mindaugas Malinauskas is not taking part in the training sessions of "Žalgiris". "I haven't seen him," - that's all I.Pankratjevas said about the goalkeeper.
Last weekend, during a friendly match, M. Malinauskas represented the Belarusian champions Soligorsk's "Shakhtyor" team, but most likely his path will lead to Poland. Forward Jevgenijus Dovkša and defender Nerijus Valskis are in the tryout of the Lodz "LKS" club in this country.
Nevertheless, Virmantas Lemežis, Tadas Gražiūnas and Igoris Morinas definitely remain in "Žalgiris" - I. Pankratjevas informed the "A lyga" website that the club has recently signed contracts with these and last year's players who competed for "Žalgiris".
Last season, I. Morinas and V. Lemežis were the most productive players of the capital's team. In the Lithuanian "A lyga" championship, I. Morinas scored eight goals, V. Lemežis - five. Defender T. Gražiūnas scored twice against goalkeepers.
The nearest friendly match of "Žalgiris" at "Sportima" arena will be played on Saturday at 19:30. The opponents of Vilnius will be the footballers of Mogilev's "Dnepr-Transmash" (Belarus). Later, just like the "Vėtra" team, the "Žalgiris" team will continue their preparations in Cyprus.
"On February 13, we will fly from Warsaw to the training camp in Cyprus. 23 players will go with the team," - said I. Pankratjevas.
