© EuroFootball.com
After the deadline for submitting applications for the licensing of the 2006-07 season of the highest Lithuanian football leagues "A League" and "I League", the potential participants of the next season's two highest championships in Lithuania were revealed. According to the Licensing Department of the LFF, 12 clubs want to participate in the "A League" and 18 clubs in the "I League".
In addition to the ten teams competing this season in the "A League" - Marijampolė's "Sūduva", Vilnius' "Žalgiris", "Šilutė", Vilnius' "Vėtra", Panevėžys' "Ekranas", Klaipėda's "Atlantas", "Kaunas", "Vilnius", Kėdainiai's "Nevėžis" and "Šiauliai", the strongest teams in the country also applied for the licenses to participate in the elite championship, including Visaginas' "Interas" and Kaunas' "Rodiklis".
Meanwhile, one of the leaders of the "I League" Alytus' "Alytis", which became the champion last year and earned the right to play in the "A League", did not submit an application this time, reportedly due to a disagreement with the city council.
This likely means that the team currently in the second position in the "I League", Alytus' club, will not play in the "A League" next season, making Kaunas' "Rodiklis" the most likely candidate to replace them in the elite competition.
The teams from Kaunas are in fourth place in the "I League" and are not far behind the teams above them, such as the reserve team of "Atlantas". Visaginas' "Interas" shares the 7-8 spots. Pakruojis' "Kruoja", which is in fifth place in the "I League", did not hit the mark in its application to participate in the "A League". "Kauno Jėgėriai", currently leading the league, as well as the teams in the 3rd and 6th positions, "Atlantas-2" and "Vėtra-2" respectively, are reserve teams and cannot move up.
Eighteen teams submitted applications to participate in the lower "I League" licensing process. Only the teams currently playing in the Western zone of the "II League", Klaipėda's "Glestum" and in the Northern zone, "Ekranas-2", aspire to move up and become newcomers in the "I League" next season.
Teams aspiring to compete in the "A League" must submit the first personnel and legal criteria documents to the LFF Licensing Department by October 16th this year, while the candidates for the LFF "I League" must submit the majority of the documentation by December 1st.
The Licensing Committee of the LFF will consider the issue of granting licenses to "A League" clubs on March 6, 2007, while the appeals of clubs that did not receive licenses will be considered on March 20, 2007. Decisions regarding the granting of licenses to the clubs in the "I League" will be made on March 13 and March 27, 2007 respectively.
