A Lifetime of History
Henrikas Katilius, Lithuania
Henrikas Katilius is the head coach of Lithuanian third division club FK Sveikata Kybartai. The club is the oldest active football club in Lithuania and a member of the Club of Pioneers, a worldwide network of the oldest continuing football clubs from each country in the world, originally founded in 2013 by Sheffield FC, the world’s first football club.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your football life?
I am Henrikas Katilius, I have been playing football since I was a child. I made my debut in men's football at the age of 16. I spent my entire career at FK Sveikata Kybartai, which plays in the third division of the Lithuanian football championship. After finishing my career, I started working as a children’s coach. Since 2015, I have been the head coach of FK Sveikata Kybartai. I currently have a UEFA A license.
What did you try to show with the photos? Did the photos have a broader meaning?
Football is my life, my hobby, and my job. In the photos I tried to show the life of the football community of Kybartai. All the photos were taken at Kybartai stadium during various events.
I showed players from our team, the club playing an amateur tournament, flares from our fans, and the legendary monument of the club player and coach V. Kochanauskas.
Many photos were taken during the pandemic and reflect the story of small-town football during this period. Covid-19 halted the competitions and training, but in 2022 everything improved.
What is the history of FK Sveikata Kybartai? Are you proud to be the first club in Lithuania and the Club of Pioneers?
The history of Kybartai "Sveikata" has deep traditions. We are the oldest club in Lithuania and we have retained our name, colors and stadium since 1919. Although our club is located in a small town and is not a top league club in Lithuania, we are proud to be the oldest Lithuanian club and the member of the Club of Pioneers from Lithuania.
The club is currently renovating our home stadium, and we hope to play there again this season. Last season we had to play home matches in Vilkaviskis. Most of our players are currently our academy players aged 15-17.
Why is football so important for Lithuania and its people? What is the future of Lithuanian football?
Football in Lithuania is not as important as in most countries of the world, as the number one sport in Lithuania is basketball. However, at the moment it is catching up very fast with basketball and is the leader in terms of children's participation.
Lithuanian football is moving forward. New training methods are being introduced, and a new generation is growing that I think will be much more talented than the previous ones.
