A. Skerla: the camp provided the team with an impulse

2026-05-31 21:25 © lff.lt

Vilnius "Žalgiris" has returned to the path of victory in Top League. In front of 8,308 spectators at Dariaus and Girėnas Stadium, the Vilnius team defeated the title-defending "Kaunas Žalgiris" 1:0 (0:0).

The only goal of the match was scored in the 58th minute by Nikola Petković after a precise long pass from Klaudijus Upsto into the goalkeeper's area, swiftly bypassing defenders and heading the ball into the net for an unstoppable finish.

After the match, FK "Žalgiris" players traditionally thanked their fans, hundreds of whom traveled to Kaunas from the capital not only by car or bus but also on a train packed with fans dressed in green and white.

Congratulated on the victory, "Žalgiris" coach Andrius Skerla also expressed his gratitude to the fans: "First of all, we should thank our supporters. Those who came, those who are always beside us, even though this is not the best period. They support us. Yes, we get a beating, but that is normal. Today the atmosphere was really good, there were quite a lot of spectators."

The strategist did not hide that this match was important to him personally: "It's like a Žalgiris derby. And it took place in a stadium where I had never won before. The tension was felt. Not only because the team has been struggling lately. But also because this stadium has been somewhat cursed for me for many years."

I am very pleased with the team's performance. Now is a time when we need to show character. The players spent a few days together in a camp. I think that gave us a boost. In the camp, I saw communication, I saw that everyone cares. It was very important not to crumble today. I want to congratulate the players for remaining strong until the last seconds.

We stuck to the plan from the first minutes. It was tough; the opponents had opportunities to score. But I can praise the team for not shutting down; we created moments ourselves. That patience gave us confidence. And we took advantage of the opportunity that we had."

When asked why the goalkeeping duties were entrusted to V. Šarkauskas this time instead of Carlos Olses, A. Skerla said: "When I came to "Žalgiris", Carlos was the first goalkeeper. I told Vincent – you have to wait, your time will come. It was the same when I worked at "Hegelmann". He didn’t play for about a year. And then he played impressively. It was the same here. I think it was time to give him a chance. And he handled it excellently."