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During the press conference held at the "Vėtra" stadium on Tuesday, the tenth team season was presented. The thoughts on the upcoming season were shared by "Vėtra" head coach Aleksandras Tarchanovas, assistant coach Donatas Vencevičius, team captain Julius Raliukonis, newcomer Andrius Skerla from the Lithuanian national team, and Dejan Milošeskis, a legionnaire from Macedonia.
At the beginning of the press conference, the gathered media representatives could see the new "Vėtra" logo specially created for the anniversary, as well as the new player kits.
The first to speak, "Vėtra" head coach Aleksandras Tarchanovas outlined the club's goals for the upcoming season, talked about the changes in the team composition, and the plans to continue strengthening in the future.
"Last year we became champions of the Lithuanian championship. This year, we aim for higher goals to compete with FBK "Kaunas" and Panevėžys "Ekranas", who have dominated the Lithuanian A league in recent years. From the owners, we've been given the conditions to strengthen our team, so we will fight for the top spots in the Lithuanian championship. In the Baltic league, we have practically secured a place in the knockout stages and our minimum goal is to reach the semifinals. If successful, we hope to play in the final. In the Intertoto Cup tournament, the goal is to win as many matches as possible, of course, we dream of becoming the champions of this tournament," said the coach.
"Compared to last year, we have strengthened in all areas. I am glad that we managed to bring Andrius Skerla to "Vėtra" - he is undoubtedly our most famous acquisition. This is a really big reinforcement for our team, Skerla is an experienced high-quality defender. In addition, the defense has been supplemented by other footballers, I am very happy with defender Pedro. He is only nineteen, but with his good play, he has already earned a place in the starting lineup. Croatian Marijan Budimir is getting in shape, having played in the main squad in two Baltic League matches and played reliably. To compete for the top positions and participate in four tournaments, the team must have reliable replacements because otherwise, the game will fall apart due to injuries or received cards," considered Aleksandras Tarchanovas.
"The defensive line was strengthened by Mindaugas Panka, who joined from "Vilnius", and former team captain Gediminas Butrimavičius returned from the USA. He still needs time to get in optimal playing shape, but already feels that he strengthened the team. In the offense, we have Vitalijus Stankevičius - an interesting forward who scores many goals. The Brazilian Lima Severino has also adapted, he played excellently in the last match against "Skonto" and scored a goal. I think the squad is well balanced. The only issue that remains is with the goalkeeper position because from the current lineup, Vaidas Žutautas is the only goalkeeper I can trust. Negotiations are currently underway with a goalkeeper from the Russian youth national team, who could join "Vėtra" in the near future. So, the team's squad is practically complete. However, selection will continue throughout the season, and during the course of it, the team may be supplemented by several players. We will try to reinforce "Vėtra" with young Lithuanians," said the "Vėtra" strategist.
Asked about the main competitors in the Lithuanian championship, the coach expressed the opinion that four teams could compete for the medals: "I think the main contender for gold remains FBK "Kaunas". It is a very well-structured team that has been dominating Lithuania recently. Therefore, in order to compete with the team from Kaunas, we cannot afford to lose points when playing against other opponents. The title contender is also "Ekranas" - even though they are going through a coaching change and have lost one of the defensive leaders, the core remains. "Žalgiris" could also join these teams, as they are capable of fighting for prize places. The "Vilnius" club has also strengthened. I cannot evaluate the other teams because many players have changed within their ranks."
Last year's "Vėtra" defender and this year's assistant coach Donatas Vencevičius said that working with Aleksandras Tarchanovas is very interesting and beneficial. This contributes to his improvement as a coach.
"I didn't think I would end my career so quickly, but last year I suffered a serious injury. When Aleksandr Tarchanov arrived, he offered me the position of assistant coach. Working next to such a famous strategist is a very good experience, so I decided to end my career and accept the offer. Before the season, we had a couple of camps in Turkey, where we faced strong clubs like Moscow's "Spartak" and "Dinamo". I think it was beneficial because it allowed us to learn and improve, as such matches highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the team. The strongest aspect of the team? I think all are sufficiently balanced, and it's hard to single out anything. As a former defender, I find the "Vėtra" defense line to be particularly strong.
"Vėtra" captain and veteran Julius Raliukonis rejoiced in the strengthened team composition, the more mature appearance of the team's play, and affirmed that all players get along well together in the team.
"The club's goals this year are big, we have strengthened this season and on all fronts should aim for the top positions - we should strive to do that both in the Lithuanian championship, the Baltic league, and the UEFA Intertoto Cup matches. The atmosphere within the team is very good, the veterans have embraced the newcomers. In these couple of months, we have become friends both on and off the field. I am happy that "Vėtra" is coached by a strategist who tries to instill technical and intelligent play in us."
"Vėtra" newcomer Andrius Skerla predicted that it will not be easy to compete on all fronts but stated that he is determined to strive for victories.
"A long season awaits us, we are all prepared and eagerly await its start. Under A. Tarchanov's coaching, "Vėtra" has a unique style. Although the pitches in Lithuania at the beginning of the season are of poor quality, I hope this will not prevent us from demonstrating the kind of play we can and achieve many victories. Since our goals are the highest, I think many will try to undermine us and will fight harder against us, but this should only benefit the whole team. This will add to the intrigue, and I hope the matches will become more interesting for the spectators - we would like them to come and support their beloved team and see as much as possible," said Andrius Skerla.
"The atmosphere within the team is not bad, there is no friction between the Lithuanians and the legionnaires. We have a long list of players, and everyone will have to participate in competing in the four tournaments. It's very good that such a famous coach as Aleksandras Tarchanovas coaches the team; working with him allows us to improve even during training sessions. We practice a lot with the ball and try to promote technical football. At the moment, it's still hard for me to judge the level of the Lithuanian championship; I could give a better answer to this question in a month," said the Lithuanian national team and "Vėtra" defender.
Greeting the journalists in Lithuanian, "Vėtra" legionnaire Dejan Milošeskis said: "This season, "Vėtra" has added more legionnaires from the former Yugoslav states. Now my compatriot Bobi Božinovski and I have more people to speak with in our native language. I believe that the team has strengthened this season, and we can win the Lithuanian championship. At the moment, the title of Lithuanian champion is my biggest dream."
The "Vėtra" footballers will start the Lithuanian A league championship this Saturday. In the first round, "Vėtra" will face another capital city club - "Vilnius".
