Ž. Sopičius: 'The Jonavos stadium did not make everything easier either.'

2026-07-29 23:49 © L. Žemgulio

"Kauno Žalgiris" fought for a historic victory in the UEFA Champions League qualification. In Jonava, the Žalgiris team defeated the champions of the Faroe Islands, KÍ "Klaksvík", with a score of 1:0 and advanced to the next stage of the UEFA Champions League qualification.

This victory also ensured that in the 2026/27 season, "Kauno Žalgiris" will play at least in the group stage of the UEFA Europa Conference League – this is a historic achievement for the club.

After the match, the head coach, Željko Sopić, shared his thoughts.

"First of all, I want to say a huge thank you to all the fans. I also heard that the President of the Republic of Lithuania attended the match. This is a wonderful evening for all of us, so I thank you once again. We knew what kind of match awaited us, and the Jonava stadium did not make it easy. It is a good pitch, but it is easier to play for a defensive style team here," said the strategist.

Ž. Sopić also commented on the playing style of the teams and the significance of this victory.

"You know, the first match was similar to this one, only the pitch was a bit smaller, and their play is Scandinavian, so it wasn't easy for us. I think we played similarly, so it's normal that it wasn't easy, as they defend with 10 players behind the ball and they utilize set pieces very well. I believe we had two or three chances to score, and we managed to close the match – this is a historic achievement," added the strategist.

Having reached the third stage of the UEFA Champions League qualification, the Žalgiris team will face Zagreb's "GNK Dinamo" next week.