Kauno futbolo ir beisbolo klubas, commonly known as FBK Kaunas, was a professional football club based in Kaunas, Lithuania.
History
Banga Kaunas (1960–1993) The roots of the club can be traced back to 1960 when Banga Kaunas was founded. Capable players were invited to the club and the club immediately received the right to play in the USSR competitions, which it transferred to Granitas Klaipėda after 1962. In 1963, the club was to be disbanded, but remained as a amateur club of the Kaunas Radio Factory. In 1963, the physical education club of the Kaunas Radio Factory was given the name of a sports club (for good sports performance).Department of Physical Education and Sports under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. *History of Physical Education and Sports in Lithuania*. – Vilnius: Margi raštai, 1996. . // 156 p.
Afterwards, the club played in the Lithuanian SSR championship and they did so until 1990. Later, Banga Kaunas was one of the strongest football clubs, in the 1986 LFF Lyga, they became Lithuanian champions. In the 1989 LFF Lyga, they repeated this achievement, and after regaining independence, Banga Kaunas was merged with FK Vilija Kaunas in the summer of 1991. They played as Banga Kaunas until 1993 before the club changed its name.
FBK Kaunas (1993–1999 and 2000–2012) In 1993, the club was renamed 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 ninth round of 1999 A Lyga, but only carried the name for the remaining of the season. From 1999 to 2008, Kaunas won eight championships, four Lithuanian Cups, three Super Cups and one Baltic league title. After finishing second in 2008 A Lyga, the club's president announced that the club was being demoted from A Lyga to I Lyga, the second tier of Lithuanian football system, but as conflict with the Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF) intensified, FBK Kaunas was relegated to II Lyga that consisted of amateur teams.https://web.archive.org/web/20090328093413/http://www.futbolas.lt/lt/naujienos/,nid.2641 Lithuanian
FBK Kaunas won II Lyga championship in their first year in that division. Despite relegation FBK Kaunas also participated in the new UEFA Europa League as a vice champions of 2008 A Lyga, 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. The 2011 season was a huge disappointment for Kaunas as they did not manage to live up to the high expectations and eventually ended at 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 club's increasing financial problems the chairman eventually decided to withdraw the club from any competitions and later declared the club bankrupt.http://www.15min.lt/sportas/naujiena/futbolas/fbk-kaunas-pasmerktas-visiems-laikams-isnykti-is-salies-futbolo-zemelapio-24-296543 Lithuanian Shortly afterwards the fans decided to form a new club.http://www.respublika.lt/lt/naujienos/sportas/futbolas/vknyzelis_po_ketveriu_metu_zaisime_a_lygoje/ In Lithuanian
Kaunas have played Celtic, Rangers and Liverpool among others in Champions League and Europa 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. 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 £308 million.
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 Season Div. Pos. Pl. W D L Goals Pts Top ScorerCupSupercupBaltic LeagueEurope Notes19911st31494124–1022 Not contested Baltic League not founded until 20071991–921st4251110426–15321992–931st5271151136–29271993–941st522124631–18281994–951st62288625–22241/4dnq1995–961st4281431133–15311/4Not contested1996–971st4281551148–35411/2dnq IC Group stage1997–981st530184863–1958 TrakysFinal Not contested IC Group stage1998–991st323183257–1457 TrakysFinal 19991st118125136–1041 Kšanavičius1/4 UC 1st Qualifying round20001st1362682115–2486 Velička1/2CL2nd qualifying round20011st136267376–1385 PociusWinnerCL1st qualifying round20021st132246285–2078 Šlekys1/4WinnerCL1st qualifying round20031st128215264–2068 Opic1/2Runner upCL2nd qualifying round20041st128205349–1965 VeličkaWinnerWinnerCL2nd qualifying round20051st236264689–2582 BeniušisWinnerRunner upCL2nd qualifying round20061st136284485–3088 Velička / Beniušis1/4WinnerUC2nd qualifying round20071st136258391–2683 GrigalevičiusNot contested Not contested1/2CL1st qualifying round20081st228167551–1755 LedesmaWinnerWinnerCL / UC3rd qualifying round / 1st roundRelegated to II Lyga20093rd1201901110–1057 Macežinskas1/2dnqdnqEL2nd qualifying roundPromoted to I Lyga20102nd1272700108–1681 Pehlić1/2dnqPromoted to A Lyga20111st1033881741–5326 Razulis1/2dnqdnqDid not get a licence for the 2012 season
European cup Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate Scored1996–97Intertoto CupGroup stage Lillestrøm SK1–4—4th Kirilovas FC Nantes—1–3 Žalys Sligo Rovers1–0— Miknevičius Heerenveen—1–3 Gvildys1997–98Intertoto CupGroup stage Samsunspor0–1—3rd Leiftur—3–2 Buitkus Trakys Bezykornovas Hamburger SV1–2— Bezykornovas Odense—2–2 Bezykornovas Trakys1999–00UEFA CupQual. round Maccabi Tel Aviv2–11–33–4 Pacevičius-2 Papečkys2000–01UEFA Champions League 1st QR NK Brotnjo4–00–34–3 Kšanavičius-2 Žuta Puotkalis 2nd QR Rangers FC0–01–41–4 Žuta2001–02UEFA Champions League 1st QR Sloga Jugomagnat1–10–01–1 Papečkys2002–03UEFA Champions League 1st QR Dinamo Tirana2–30–02–3 Velička-22003–04UEFA Champions League 1st QR Havnar Bóltfelag4–11–05–1 Beniušis-2, Kančelskis, Opic 2nd QR Celtic0–40–10–52004–05UEFA Champions League 1st QR Sliema Wanderers4–12–06–1 Sanajevas-2, Žutautas, Gedgaudas, Mikoliūnas, Žaliūkas 2nd QR Djurgården0–20–00–22005–06UEFA Champions League 1st QR Havnar Bóltfelag4–04–28–2 Velička-3, Zelmikas-2, Rimkevičius-2, Klimek 2nd QR Liverpool1–30–21–5 Barevičius2006–07UEFA Cup 1st QR Portadown1–03–14–1 Manchkava, Pehlić, Velička, Ivaškevičius 2nd QR Randers1–01–32–3 Juška, Velička2007–08UEFA Champions League 1st QR Zeta3–21–34–5 Kvaratskhelia-2, Beniušis, Kšanavičius2008–09UEFA Champions League 1st QR Santa Coloma3–14–17–2 Pilibaitis-4, Ledesma-2, Zelmikas 2nd QR Rangers FC2–10–02–1 Radžius, Pilibaitis 3rd QR Aalborg0–20–20–4UEFA Cup1st round Sampdoria1–20–51–7 Zelmikas2009–10UEFA Europa League 2nd QR Sevojno1–10–01–1 Fridrikas
Coaches
Povilas Grigonis (1986) Algirdas Gruzdas (1989) Šenderis Giršovičius (1995–96), (1998–00) Sergei Borovsky (July 2003 – April 4) Šenderis Giršovičius (April 2004 – Sept 04) Valdas Ivanauskas (Sept 2004 – April 5) Eugenijus Riabovas (April 2005 – May 5) Aleksandr Piskaryov (May 2005 – July 5) Igoris Pankratjevas (July 2005 – Nov 05) Eduard Malofeyev (Dec 2005 – June 6) Eugenijus Riabovas (June 2006 – Feb 07) Vladimir Kurnev (Feb 2007 – April 7) Angel Chervenkov (April 2007 – June 7) Artūras Ramoška (June 2007 – Sept 07) Anton Joore (Aug 2007 – Sept 07) Andrei Zygmantovich (Sept 2007 – July 8) Jose Couceiro (July 2008 – Oct 08) Andrei Zygmantovich (Nov 2008 – Dec 08) Eugenijus Riabovas (Dec 2008 – April 9) Saulius Vertelis (April 2009 – Sept 10) Darius Gvildys (Sept 2010 – March 11) Eugenijus Riabovas (March 2011 – Feb 12)
References
External links Official Website Statistics & Info