Official

2026-06-29 19:44 © zalgiris.lt

Lithuanian champion FK "Kauno Žalgiris" has found a replacement for the coach who led the team for the last one and a half years, Eivinas Černiauskas. From now on, the Kaunas team will be led by experienced 51-year-old Croatian Željko Sopić.

Ž. Sopić is a former football player who played in various football clubs in Croatia, Israel, and Germany, including a name like Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Having ended his professional football career in 2011 at the Zagreb "Lokomotiva" club, the Croatian joined the club's coaching staff, and in 2014, he became the head coach of the Zagreb "Rudeš" team for the first time.

Later, the new coach of the Žalgiris team spent several years in the system of the legendary Croatian club Zagreb "Dinamo," coaching the reserve team and even being appointed the head coach of the main team for several matches.

In 2019, the specialist also worked in the UAE league at "Al-Ain" club, and after that stage, he settled into the head coach position in Europe.

Initially, he coached the Baku "Sabah" team in Azerbaijan, later worked at Velika Gorica "Gorica" club in the top Croatian league, and in the 2023-2024 season, he coached the same league's "Rijeka" team, with which he had a great season.

Ž. Sopić's "Rijeka" became the Croatian vice-champion and reached the Croatian Cup final in that same year.

At the beginning of 2025, the former football player took charge of Łódź "Widzew" in the top Polish football league and finished the year at the strongest Croatian league club "Osijek."

"This coach has worked with strong teams and leagues, coached high-level football players, and has a great deal of experience. The teams he coached played intense and aggressive attacking football, and we were looking for a coach precisely for these qualities, so that his playing style would fit our club's football philosophy," said the club's sports director Darius Šinkūnas about the new coach.

During his coaching career, Ž. Sopić has led teams not only in the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League qualifiers. He once managed the Zagreb "Dinamo" team in the UEFA Champions League group stage matches.

Together with Ž. Sopić, the coaching staff of "Kauno Žalgiris" will also be joined by analyst Josip Paušić, who has also worked with him and at previous clubs, as well as strength and conditioning coach Ivan Čuković. The latter will replace Rimantas Česnulis, who has parted ways with the club.

The coaching staff of "Kauno Žalgiris" will continue to include assistant coach Algis Jankauskas, goalkeeper coach Audrius Ramonas, and analyst Rokas Pranaitis.