Lithuania regained independence in 1990. During this time all sports in the country were almost at the same level of popularity. Football and Basketball were equal also. At this time we have had very good basketball players like Arvydas Sabonis, Sarunas Marciulionis, Arturas Karnisovas, Valdemaras Chomicius. They were playing for the big foreign clubs (some of them in NBA) and have earned a lot of money. Then they have invested in their own facilities which were specialized in teaching boys to play basketball and what did the footballers? Very sad to say but nothing of the sort… All went to the foreign clubs and stayed there without thinking on how to help young lads to become footballers. Why the help was needed? The young country was weak and could not invest a lot of money into football, so the fotballers could help but they di not.

That’s why the Basketball became very popular in Lithuania because basketballers have taken care about the new generation. All I can say is ‘Thank you’.

…but Soccer is the number 1 in the whole World! I play and watch football also and I like this game more then Basketball.

The Lithuanian government is now ignoring other sports and supports basketball most but this is not right. The government pays a lot of money to Basketball clubs to support them but f… hell(!), there is no real football stadium in the whole country. Oh no, there is one in the town of Marijampole. It can place only 5000 people.

Of course things went a little better when one private bank decided to support Lithuanian football.

Dirty politics and corruption won’t bring any successful results to the football in Lithuania but at least I can be pleased with the success of Lithuanian national team which has beaten Romanians by 3:0 and Austrians by 2:0.

Lithuania vs Austria 2:0