Kaunas maintain coach turnover

FBK Kaunas is arguably not the most stable place to be a coach but the opening months of the season have been turbulent even by the club's standards.

Fourth appointment
Dutchman Antonius Joor became the Lithuanian champions' fourth coach of the campaign, leading Kaunas to a 2-1 win against last term's runners-up FK Ekranas in his opening game on 2 September. Previously in charge of Kazakhstan's FC Alma-Ata, Joor took over from Andrei Zygmantovitch who had arrived in Kaunas just two months before to replace Bulgarian Angel Cervenkov.

Confusing season
After taking the 2006/07 title and then moving to Heart of Midlothian FC in Scotland, Eduard Malofeev had recommended Vladimir Kurnov as his successor, but he lasted only three matches before Cervenkov took his place. Cervenkov then followed Malofeev to Edinburgh, yet even with Zygmantovitch gone, it is not certain that Joor will be their last coach of 2007.

Temporary appointment
Kaunas president Gintaras Ugyanskis has made no secret of the fact he regards Joor as a temporary appointment. "We'll see what his results are like," Ugyanskis said. Nonetheless, the instability seems to have done Kaunas's challenge for a seventh Super League crown in eight seasons no harm – they are seven points clear of FK Žalgiris Vilnius at the top of the table.

Ekranas turmoil
A humiliating 6-0 defeat at Norway's Vålerenga IF in the UEFA Cup second qualifying round spelled the end for Ekranas coach Darius Butkus who had replaced the experienced Saulius Širmelis two months earlier. The club have been in turmoil since a reported physical confrontation between sporting director Virginijus Liubšys and general manager Tomas Sitnikovas.