Ivanauskas to lead Kaunas

Championship hope
Although the 38-year-old Ivanauaskas will initially only lead the team until the end of the season in October, the club are looking further ahead. "We are talking about long-term work, but we will only speak about it at the end of the season. Now our foremost task is to retain the title," said the former Hamburger SV forward who was the first Lithuanian to play in the Bundesliga.

Change made
A Lyga leaders Kaunas are on target for their sixth title in a row but parted company with Giršovicius because the team were playing "unimpressive" football. Giršovicius had only taken charge in April after the departure of Belarussian Sergei Borovski to FC Metalurh Donetsk.

International experience
Ivanauskas, who is also an assistant to Lithuania coach Algimantas Liubinskas, was formerly in charge of FK Vetra for almost a year, guiding the unfancied side to a third-place finish last season. This time around, the Vilnius club had progressed past two UEFA Intertoto Cup stages but were lying in fifth place in the league last month when they ended Ivanauskas's contract.