Goal Programme - Lithuanian Football Federation - 2005

Football is the second most popular sport in Lithuania after basketball. The nation's greatest success at club or international level came in 1987 when FC Zalgiris (at that time representing the USSR) beat South Korea 5-0 to win the football tournament at the XIV World University Games. In 2003, Lithuania has recorded a series of fine results in EURO 2004 qualifiers, including a 1-1 draw in Germany and a 2-0 win over Scotland. Arvydas Janonis, Arminas Narbekovas and Valdas Augustinas Ivanauskas are Lithuania's most famous players. Janonis won the Olympic Football Tournament in 1988 playing for the USSR, Narbekovas was voted player of the year four times in succession - 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988 - and is now the Vice-President of the Lithuanian Football Federation, and Ivanauskas won an Austrian league title with Austria Memphis and was named Lithuania's player of the year in 1990, 1991, 1993 and 1994.

The Lithuania Football Federation builded a technical centre dedicated to nurturing young talent for the future. The project entails the laying of football pitches and the construction of dressing rooms, medical and fitness rooms, and accommodation for 50 players plus storerooms, a kitchen and all the other necessary facilities. The technical centre in Kaunas will also be used by the association's national teams. The artificial turf playing surface that formed part of the first Goal project and was inaugurated at the end of 2002 ensures that the centre can be used all year round.