Genādijs Šitiks
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Article summary
Latvia is in mourning after the coach of the country's Under-21 side, former FK Daugava Rīga midfielder Genādijs Šitiks, died aged 51, days after overseeing his charges' latest game.
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Latvia is in mourning after the coach of the country's Under-21 side, Genādijs Šitiks, died of a heart attack at the age of 51.
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One of the best midfielders in the history of Latvian football, Šitiks will forever be associated with FK Daugava Rīga for whom, playing alongside Aleksandrs Starkovs, he scored 108 goals in more than 400 games. A set-piece specialist, Šitiks switched to coaching after retirement and two years ago accepted Latvia's U21 post. His side beat Andorra 4-0 in their opening 2011 UEFA European U21 Championship qualifier but last week went down 1-0 in Moldova. "It is a huge loss to our game," Latvian Football Federation general secretary Janis Mežeckis told uefa.com. "I played with him and also coached him, and and can say he was an excellent person and a top-class professional."