Champions' rookie L. Račičius: 'One of my strengths is not very visible'

2026-02-11 20:32 © zalgiris.lt

26-year-old Luka Račičius arrived in Lithuania at the beginning of the week, successfully passed the medical check and officially became a member of FK "Kauno Žalgiris."

The central defender, who holds Montenegrin and Danish citizenship, was eager to join the team's training after signing the contract.

"The first days here were great, although tense. A lot was going on around me, but I am already looking forward to meeting everyone. I’ve already met a few guys, so the feeling has been good from the very first day,” said the player who previously belonged to "Rosenborg" to Žalgiris.lt.

L. Račičius has previously encountered Lithuanian football – back in the summer of 2025, in the UEFA Conference League qualifiers, he played against Gargždai "Bangos" team, and "Rosenborg" won the match in Norway 5-0.

"I remember the home match against "Banga" as a very good encounter, and I only remember the location and the pitch from the away match, which was somewhat different. Of course, the playing style in Lithuania and Scandinavia differs significantly, so it will be interesting,” recalled the new Žalgiris player.

In his first training session with the team, L. Račičius appeared just four days before the LFF Supercup final in Marijampolė. Will the player manage to adapt before the start of the season?

"I’ve changed several countries and clubs, so it’s becoming easier for me to adapt to new places, and I already feel that the adaptation here will not take long. I don’t know if I will be registered and ready to play in the Supercup final, but I hope so. I want to play for the trophy,” the defender expressed hope.

L. Račičius, who has previously represented "Copenhagen," "Brentford," "Northampton," "Koge," "Sonderjyske," "Slaven Belupo," "Volos," and "Lyngby," stated that the decision to come to Kaunas was not difficult.

"It was a very easy choice. I think we got the plane tickets even before finishing the contract negotiations. Both sides simply felt that this was a great choice,” revealed the player who chose the number 4 jersey.

In his first interview, the new Žalgiris player also introduced himself to the club's fans and talked about his style of play.

"I am a defender who likes to defend. I defend with pride, and that is my strong side. I defend with both my body and tactically. I can help the team and dominate with the ball. One of my strong points that is not very visible is leading the defensive line,” L. Račičius shared.