FK Atlantas

History

The modern-day Atlantas was founded in 1996. During the Soviet occupation of Klaipėda, the team was known as Granitas. Atlantas was a farm club of Granitas from 1970. The name Atlantas was used in Lithuanian championships and Granitas in Soviet Union championships. During the period of Lithuanian independence from 1990, the tradition of using Granitas and Atlantas was lost, but in 1996, the team was reestablished and named Atlantas.

In summer 2018, the club had financial problems because its bank accounts were suspended. The club owners considered all possibilities to save the club from dissolution. In the first half of the 2018 A Lyga, the club was in fourth position; after the summer, they failed to win any games in the championship and lost their position. After 28 rounds, however, they were in sixth position and could play in the final stage of the championship. The 29th round was a loss to FC Stumbras 0–6.

In January 2019, it was reported that the club lost its sponsorships from businesses and the City of Klaipėda, meaning the club would soon become defunct.

In February 2019, the club changed owners. The new chief was Vidas Adomaitis.

On 5 December 2019, the Lithuanian Football Federation announced that two A Lyga clubs, FK Atlantas and FK Palanga, had been excluded from the A Lyga, fined €30,000 and had been relegated to II Lyga due to manipulation of match results. Five players were punished with fines and a ban from all football activity ranging from 6 to 12 months.{{cite web|url=https://lff.lt/news/9419/fk-atlantas-ir-fk-palanga-del-manipuliavimo-rezultatais-yra-salinami-is-a-lygos/ |access-date=19 February 2020

In 2020, Atlantas was in Antra lyga (3rd level), and after the first round was one of the top six teams. In the final stages, the team had chances for promotion to Pirma lyga.

Name history

• 1962 – Granitas Klaipėda
• 1970 – Atlantas Klaipėda
• 1996 – FK Atlantas Klaipėda

Honours

Domestic

• Lithuanian Championship
  • Runners-up (3): 2001, 2002, 2013
  • Third place (5): 1999, 2000, 2004, 2014, 2015
• Lithuanian Cup
  • Winners (2): 2001, 2003
  • Runners-up (2): 2004, 2014–15

Soviet Championship

• Lithuanian SSR Championship
  • Champions (4): 1978, 1980, 1981, 1984
• Soviet Second League
  • Winners (2): 1964, 1985
• Lithuanian SSR Cup
  • Winners (4): 1977, 1981, 1983, 1986

Other tournaments

• Turkmenistan President's Cup
  • Third place (1): 2003

Supporters

FK Atlantas supporters were called Vakarų Frontas. They maintained friendly relations with fans of Žalgiris Vilnius and Rangers FC.

Crest and colours

The crest features a yellow seahorse with a football on the background. In the middle of the crest is white text stating Atlantas at the top and Klaipėda in smaller text under it. The logo contains some white.

Since the beginning, the club has used the colors yellow and blue on their kits.

Kit manufacturers

• 2013–2016: Jako
• 2017–2018: Puma
• 2018–present: Adidas

Season-by-season

;Lithuania Lithuania :{|class="wikitable" ! Season ! Div. ! Pos. ! Pl. ! W ! D ! L ! Goals ! Top Scorer !Cup !colspan=2|Europe

2020 squad

Notable and famous players

FK Atlantas players who have either appeared for their respective national team at any time or received an individual award while at the club. ;Lithuania

• LIT Robertas Poškus (1996–1997)
• LIT Tomas Danilevičius (1995–1996)
• LIT Raimondas Žutautas (1995)
• LIT Darvydas Šernas
• LIT Linas Pilibaitis
• LIT Kęstutis Ivaškevičius
• LIT Andrius Jokšas
• LIT Rimantas Žvingilas
• LIT Valdas Trakys
• LIT Vladimiras Buzmakovas
• LIT Darius Žutautas
• LIT Audrius Kšanavičius
• LIT Mindaugas Panka
• LIT Edvinas Gertmonas
• LIT Nerijus Barasa
• LIT Tadas Labukas
• LIT Arūnas Šuika
• LIT Remigijus Pocius
• LIT Vidas Alunderis
• LIT Andrius Gedgaudas
• LIT Rolandas Baravykas
• LIT Ovidijus Verbickas
• LIT Saulius Mikalajūnas
• LIT Valdemaras Martinkėnas
• LIT Audrius Žuta
• LIT Viktoras Olšanskis
• LIT Tomas Žiukas
• LIT Vadimas Petrenko

;Europe

• ENG Adebayo Akinfenwa (2001–2002)
• SLO Jalen Pokorn
• RUS Andrei Panyukov
• RUS Yuri Kirillov
• BLR Dzmitry Mazalewski

;South America

• BRA Leandro da Silva

;Africa

• GUI Pascal Feindouno (2016)

;Asia

• JPN Minoru Takenaka (2000–2003)

||Tomas Danilevičius |File:Poskus.JPG|Robertas Poškus |File:Adebayo Akinfenwa 2015 (cropped).jpg|Adebayo Akinfenwa |File:Pascal Feindouno 2006.jpg|Pascal Feindouno |File:Entrainement SRFC Dinan 20150902 - Edvinas Gertmonas (2).JPG|Edvinas Gertmonas ||Raimondas Žutautas |File:Andrei Panyukov 2012.jpg|Andrei Panyukov |File:Linas Pilibaitis.jpg|Linas Pilibaitis

European cups history

2020 staff

Managers

• Lithuanian SSR Algirdas Klimkevičius (19??–66)
• Lithuanian SSR Algirdas Vosylius (1967–??)
• Lithuanian SSR Romualdas Dambrauskas (19??–70)
• Lithuanian SSR Henrikas Markevičius (1976–78)
• Lithuanian SSR Fiodoras Finkelis (1978)
• Lithuanian SSRVladas Ulinauskas (1980)
• Lithuanian SSR Romas Lavrinavičius (1981)
• Lithuanian SSR Algirdas Mitigaila (1982–83)
• Lithuanian SSR Česlovas Urbonavičius (1984–86)
• Lithuanian SSR Vytautas Gedgaudas (1986–89)
• Lithuanian SSR Česlovas Urbonavičius (1984)
• Lithuania Vytautas Gedgaudas (1992 – March 95)
• Lithuania Algirdas Mitigaila (March 1995–00)
• Lithuania Arūnas Šuika (2000)
• Lithuania Vacys Lekevičius (2001–04)
• Lithuania Šenderis Giršovičius (2002)
• Lithuania Igoris Pankratjevas (2003–05)
• Lithuania Vacys Lekevičius (2005)
• Lithuania Igoris Pankratjevas (2006)
• Lithuania Arminas Narbekovas (2006–07)
• Lithuania Mindaugas Čepas (2008–09)
• Lithuania Šenderis Giršovičius (2009–10)
• Lithuania Saulius Mikalajūnas (23 Dec 2009 – 20 May 2010)
• Lithuania Igoris Pankratjevas (2010)
• Lithuania Vitalijus Stankevičius (2011)
• Lithuania Romualdas Norkus (1 March 2012 – 30 June 2012)
• France Sébastien Roques (July 2012 – Nov 2012)
• Russia Konstantin Sarsania (1 Jan 2013 – 27 May 2017)
• Russia Sergej Savchenkov (28 May 2017 – 13 June 2017)
• Lithuania Rimantas Žvingilas (13 Jun 2017 – 23 July 2017)
• Lithuania Igoris Pankratjevas (23 Jul 2017–end of 2017)
• Lithuania Algimantas Briaunys (January 2018– 30 August 2018)
• UKR Anatoli Shelest (September 2018 – November 2018)
• LAT Viktors Dobrecovs (February 2019 – November 2019)
• LTU Donatas Navikas (in November 2019; temporary)

References

References

1. "A lyga siekia padėti "Atlantui" | A Lyga | Aukščiausia Lietuvos futbolo lyga".
2. "V. Lekevičius: "Buvo minčių uždaryti klubą, bet kas tuomet?" | A Lyga | Aukščiausia Lietuvos futbolo lyga".
3. "Stumbras - Atlantas | A Lyga | Aukščiausia Lietuvos futbolo lyga".
4. (22 January 2019). ""Atlantas" pasiekė aklavietę: Nuo klubo nusisuka ir rėmėjai, ir savivaldybė".
5. ""Atlanto" gelbėtojas purtosi ir Pukelio, ir Buzo, o Lekevičiui paliktų nebent garbės regalijas".
6. (7 February 2019). "Klaipėdos "Atlantas" turės jaunąją pamainą".
7. "II lyga Vakarų zona 2020 1-6 vietos - Lietuvos Futbolas".
8. (22 February 2017). ""Atlantas" stiprina vartininkų pozicijas". FK Atlantas.
9. "Komanda". FK Atlantas.