Vilnius 'Knights' introduced a new sports director

2023-12-20 12:59 © fk Riteriai

Three months ago, Vytautas Masaitis officially appointed as the new sports director of the club "Riteriai." It is worth noting that Tadas Simaitis, who previously held this position, left the club at the beginning of the summer.

"When I arrived at the club, the coaching staff needed help, so I focused all my energy and attention on working with the coaching staff. Especially since it was the most appropriate time, as the transfer windows for players were already closed, and there was practically no time left for the integration of new players," said V. Masaitis.

Now I have to assemble a team for the "Optibet Pirmai lyga." The fact that there is a difference between leagues, but it does not change the main goal for which we work very hard and the result we aim for. Now it remains to assess the time and the closest path to achieve the goal," said V. Masaitis.

Immediately after the season ended, it was reported that 9 foreign players would not stay at the club, and a little later - two veterans (V. Borovskis and M. Grigaravicius). Could it be that any of these players would stay in the team, or was it immediately decided to completely renew?"

“We only found out about the fate of these players in the club right after the end of the season. Many of them were not suitable for forming the team of the previous season, so we did not want to repeat those mistakes. Also, in terms of the First League, they are unsustainable both mentally and financially,” said Masaitis.

Regarding M. Grigaravicius, the player himself decided to leave the club after the contract expired. As for V. Borovskis, during the season, we had discussions about his interest in coaching, so everything developed in that direction. Also, Valdemaras himself wanted to stay in the club.

What will the renewed team look like?

The team will look completely different. Its foundation will be made up of the most talented graduates of our academy, as well as young players we believe in. Undoubtedly, more experienced players will occupy crucial positions. We are pleased to have extended the contract with goalkeeper Armantas Vitkauskas, who was our priority. He is a special personality who will bring a lot to a fairly young team,"

Is it already clear who will lead the team?

The search for a coach has been going on for some time. We are in talks with candidates and want our views to coincide mutually. It is important for us to look in the same direction and see common goals," said Masaitis.

The team will start preparing for the new season on January 8th. Why so early?"

One of the main reasons is our young players, for whom improvement and integration into the processes of the main team are very important. The upcoming season is going to be responsible, and preparation for the rhythm of the A League will allow the club to maintain high standards,"

What should the club look like in 2024?

Our goal is to return to the A League as soon as possible. We believe that this season will allow our young players to improve rapidly, which will later serve us well upon returning to the A League. We want as many of our graduates as possible to play in the main team,"

How not to repeat the mistakes made last year and not to think that everything will be very simple?

My view is that success is when it falls into your lap. Of course, there are strategies, plans, and forecasts, but I rely more on predicting one match at a time and the results of matches already played,"

When can we expect more news?

Unfortunately, some processes cannot be accelerated because we also want clarity ourselves. We are now waiting for the training preparations, where we will test selected players. Also, friendly matches are coming up, so I think there will definitely be news. There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes, talking to players, their agents, planning, and other work that will help us assemble the team we are hoping for,"