FBK Kaunas

History

Banga Kaunas (1960–1993)

The roots of the club can be traced back to 1960 when Banga Kaunas was founded and they played its first three years in the Soviet First League. Afterwards the club decided to play in the Lithuanian SSR Championship and they did so until 1990. In that period they won two Lithuanian SSR Championship's. One in 1986 and another in 1989. When Lithuania regained independence in 1991 A Lyga was created and they played as Banga Kaunas until 1993 before the club changed its name.

FBK Kaunas (1993–1999 and 2000–2012)

The club changed its name in 1993 to Kauno futbolo beisbolo klubas. The club had in its first years not such a great success and FBK Kaunas had to wait until 1999 before they could lift a trophy again. Club was shortly renamed to Žalgiris Kaunas after the 9th round of 1999 A Lyga, but only carried the name for the remaining of the season. From 1999 to 2008, Kaunas won 8 championships, 4 Lithuanian cups, 3 super cups and 1 Baltic league title, but in the autumn of 2008 Kaunas dominance was once and for all broken when FK Ekranas won the championship in front of FBK Kaunas. After finishing second in 2008 A Lyga championship the club's president announced that the club were being demoted from the A Lyga in favour of LFF I Lyga, the 2nd tier of Lithuanian football system, but as conflict with LFF intensified, FBK Kaunas was relegated to LFF II lyga (consisting of amateur teams).

FBK Kaunas won II lyga championship in their first year in that division. Despite relegation FBK Kaunas also participated in the new UEFA Europe League as a vice-champ of Lithuania but did not advance past FK Sevojno. Despite drawing both games FBK Kaunas lost on away goals. FBK Kaunas won I Lyga in 2010 and was promoted to the 2011 A Lyga season. The 2011 season was a huge disappointment for Kaunas as they didn't manage to live up to the high expectations and eventually ended at a 10th place.

FBK Kaunas were not granted a 2012 A Lyga license because of financial problems and was due to play in the 2012 I Lyga. However, due to the clubs increasing financial problems the chairman eventually decided to withdraw the club from any competitions and later declared the club bankrupt. Shortly afterwards the fans decided to form a new club.

Kaunas have played Celtic, Rangers and Liverpool among others in Europa League and Champions League qualifying stages. On 5 August 2008, FBK Kaunas defeated Rangers, 2–1, to advance to the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League for the first time. The game was won in dramatic circumstances as Kaunas had to come from behind and finally took the lead just four minutes from time. Linas Pilibaitis was the scorer.

FBK Kaunas were for many years (1993–2012) sponsored by Ūkio bankas, a bank which had Vladimir Romanov as its principal shareholder. In October 2005 Romanov became the majority shareholder of Scottish Premier League side, Heart of Midlothian. Romanov then used Kaunas as a feeder club for Hearts by signing players ostensibly for Kaunas, then immediately loaning them to the SPL side. Romanov's mismanagement and dubious dealings effectively destroyed the clubs he was involved with FBK Kaunas and Partizan Minsk going bankrupt and Hearts into administration. BC Zalgiris also suffer from his dishonesty to this day. Romanov fled to Russia where he was granted asylum in 2014 and is now wanted by the Lithuanian prosecutors on charges for fraud and embezzling for at least £308m.

Honours

Domestic

• A Lyga
  • Winners (8): 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007
  • Runners-up (2): 2005, 2008
• I Lyga
  • Winners (1): 2010
• II Lyga
  • Winners (1): 2009
• Lithuanian Cup
  • Winners (4): 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008
  • Runners-up (2): 1998, 1999
• Lithuanian Super Cup
  • Winners (3): 2002, 2004, 2006,
  • Runners-up (2): 2003, 2005
• Lithuanian SSR Championship
  • Winners (2): 1986, 1989
• Lithuanian SSR Cup
  • **Winners (1):**1989
  • Runners-up (3): 1984, 1985, 1986

Continental

• Baltic League
  • Winners (1): 2008
• Commonwealth of Independent States Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 2006

Season-by-season

Domestic

European cup

Coaches

• LTU Povilas Grigonis (1986)
• LTU Algirdas Gruzdas (1989)
• LTU Šenderis Giršovičius (1995–96), (1998–00)
• BLR Sergei Borovsky (July 2003 – April 4)
• LTU Šenderis Giršovičius (April 2004 – Sept 04)
• LTU Valdas Ivanauskas (Sept 2004 – April 5)
• LTU Eugenijus Riabovas (April 2005 – May 5)
• RUS Aleksandr Piskaryov (May 2005 – July 5)
• LTU Igoris Pankratjevas (July 2005 – Nov 05)
• BLR Eduard Malofeyev (Dec 2005 – June 6)
• LTU Eugenijus Riabovas (June 2006 – Feb 07)
• BLR Vladimir Kurnev (Feb 2007 – April 7)
• BGR Angel Chervenkov (April 2007 – June 7)
• LTU Artūras Ramoška (June 2007 – Sept 07)
• NLD Anton Joore (Aug 2007 – Sept 07)
• BLR Andrei Zygmantovich (Sept 2007 – July 8)
• PRT Jose Couceiro (July 2008 – Oct 08)
• BLR Andrei Zygmantovich (Nov 2008 – Dec 08)
• LTU Eugenijus Riabovas (Dec 2008 – April 9)
• LTU Saulius Vertelis (April 2009 – Sept 10)
• LTU Darius Gvildys (Sept 2010 – March 11)
• LTU Eugenijus Riabovas (March 2011 – Feb 12)

References

References

1. Lithuania, Rekvizitai.lt. "Kauno futbolo ir beisbolo klubas". vz.lt.
2. https://web.archive.org/web/20090328093413/http://www.futbolas.lt/lt/naujienos/,nid.2641 Lithuanian
3. (20 April 2009). "Chaos in Kaunas: The Decline and Fall of the Romanov Empire – Sportslens". soccerlens.com.
4. uefa.com. "UEFA Europa League 2009/10 - History - Kaunas-Sloboda Užice – UEFA.com". [[UEFA]].
5. http://www.15min.lt/sportas/naujiena/futbolas/fbk-kaunas-pasmerktas-visiems-laikams-isnykti-is-salies-futbolo-zemelapio-24-296543 {{Webarchive. link. (2017-08-26 Lithuanian)
6. http://www.respublika.lt/lt/naujienos/sportas/futbolas/vknyzelis_po_ketveriu_metu_zaisime_a_lygoje/ {{Webarchive. link. (2019-10-23 In Lithuanian)
7. (19 July 2016). "Vladimir Romanov squandered £308m, according to Lithuanian government". heraldscotland.com.