Ž. Sopičius – before the Champions League matches: 'I believe in my boys'

2026-07-06 13:45 © zalgiris.lt

The Lithuanian champion FK "Kauno Žalgiris" will start the first qualification round of the UEFA Champions League this Tuesday, facing the Kosovo champion – Džilan's "Drita" team.

The first match will take place at Darius and Girėnas Stadium, and before the match, the head coach of the Žalgiris team, Željko Sopić, shared his comments.

"We will be playing against the Kosovo champions, and we know that they have been playing with the same squad for two to three years. They are a strong team that played in the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage last year. On the other hand, we are playing at home, so we will give our all to overcome our opponents. These will not be easy matches, but the most important thing for me is that all the players are ready, we have no injuries, so I believe in my guys," the strategist said.

The coach also pointed out the main strengths of the "Drita" team.

"Teams like 'Drita' from Kosovo, Albania are very aggressive, strong in duels, and constantly pressuring their opponents. They are a good team – if you come from Kosovo and have played in the Conference League group stage, it means you are a quality team. The most important thing for me is how we will play. With all due respect to the 'Drita' team, I have a positive attitude because we are becoming better every day. I have been here for about eight or nine days, and I hope that with each training session we improve and will be ready for tomorrow's match. I would be very grateful if a lot of fans gather, as we know that playing with great support is easier, so we will need the energy of our fans," added Ž. Sopić.

The Croatian also spoke about his first impressions with the "Kauno Žalgiris" team.

"When a new coach arrives, everyone wants to show that they deserve to play, so I have no problems with the players. It is very important that we had time to train before this match, as the number of matches will be greater now. When you play every 72 hours, there isn't much time for training; I was a player myself, so I know. The most important thing is that everyone stays in good shape," emphasized the strategist.

The match between "Kauno Žalgiris" and "Drita" teams will start this Tuesday at 19:00. You can find tickets here.