The player of the historic team now fights for his business: “The most terrible thing will be after quarantine” Sports

At that time, 6 thousand people still lived in the Vilnius “Žalgiris” stadium. Dissatisfied with the fans, they rose from their seats when A. Šuika was demolished in the penalty area for the Lithuanian national team in the second half, attacking the Ukrainians. The game ended 1: 1.

In 1995, in the national team, the Lithuanians beat Ukraine, Slovenia, Estonia and stepped on the heels of Italy and Croatia in the fight for the European Championship.

But in the middle of the second half of September 6, the Irish judge’s whistle remained silent, although A. Šuika is still convinced: “One hundred percent foul. They cut me like a scythe. “

After an unassigned penalty, the Lithuanian national team lost, finished third in the difficult group with 16 points, and has never been in the European or world championships so far.

Now A. Šuika waits for the right solutions, trying to stay on his feet in his business.

One company was lucky with the loan, another was not

The game is set under coronavirus conditions, and the 49-year-old businessman is concerned that the Lithuanian government is treating two similar episodes differently.

15min I noticed that a whistle was favorable: VS-Sport, led by A. Šuika, was among the 18 Lithuanian companies that were lucky on April 17 and 27. to obtain a state loan for a business affected by a pandemic. The state assigned 66.5 thousand LTL to the company dedicated to training gyms, lounges and playgrounds. loan in euros

But VS-Fitness, which manages seven sports clubs and is renowned by Renata Šuikienė, has not received such loans like many other companies in the country. A. Cubs, this seems wrong.

He believes that the successful VS-Sport loan is now less needed: employees are now on part downtime, already receiving compensation for the first period.

“We did not intend to borrow, but decided to take it in a coronavirus situation,” said A. Šuika. – We received a liquidity loan, which we use and most of which we have dedicated to the future: the post-quarantine period.

Now the weight falls on the neck, because the loan will have to be paid, it will take almost twice as much to give away. But it is strange that our other bigger company, which felt a greater need, did not receive a loan. “

A.Šuika followed the news and was waiting for a loan from VS-Fitness, which unites six sports clubs in the main Lithuanian cities and is preparing to open the seventh in Marijampolė immediately after quarantine.

“The turnover is higher, the activity is more serious, but we did not receive it.” Lenders simply sent a response confirming one and not the other, A. Šuika said. – We are preparing for the worst moments that I think will come after the quarantine.

Quarantine is now like a dream state: businesses closed, zero income, but no additional costs. However, the worst time will be when the quarantine ends: costs will return to the previous state and turnover will definitely not return, the population will consume less, seasonality unfavorable for us will respond: in summer, the turnover of sports clubs generally reduces to half “.

Furthermore, A. Šuikai seems to have a strange decision that rental subsidies will be awarded only to those companies that did not experience difficulties in 2019. According to the businessman, the opposite should be the case: those who are struggling need more help.

“The most difficult part will be after quarantine, when you have to pay the rental services; these are the main costs. But the subsidies will only apply to those companies that did not experience difficulties in 2019 and whose capital-asset ratio is not as Big as whales, this is the biggest nightmare. The government should address this problem as it is relevant to many. During quarantine, conditions should be more flexible, “said A. Šuika.

From football he immediately immersed himself in business

The 49-year-old Klaipėda resident is one of the exceptions in Lithuanian football: he entered another sphere of life after his sports career.

During Lithuania’s first decade of independence, A. Šuika was a high-level defender, first taking the podium of the A-League award winners, representing “Sirijus” from Klaipėda, where he began his career.

He became the national champion with Mažeikiai “Romar”, and then played for several years in Danish league clubs: “Lyngby”, “Silkeborg”, “Esbjerg” and “Randers”.

A.Šuika played 18 matches for the Lithuanian national team and scored 3 goals, two fell in the Lithuanian official match won by the biggest difference so far, 5: 0 against Estonia, and another contributed to the victory against Slovenia.

All goals scored during 1996. The European Championship selection stage, when the Lithuanians coached by Benjaminas Zelkevičius defeated Ukraine on one trip, were defeated twice by Slovenes and Estonians.

“It was an opportunity,” A. Šuika is still convinced that if it were not for the referee’s poor decision during the match with Ukraine, it was still possible to jump into the European Championship. – They cut me, everyone saw it. But the referee questioned, the fouls did not whistle, we soon missed two goals and the box was closed.

If we had scored a penalty of 11 meters, we would have resisted a few minutes. I think then we were closer to reaching European priorities. “

A.Šuika ended his career in 2003 after three seasons in Klaipeda’s Atlante and started his own business.

“When you need to start thinking about how to support a family, go and do it,” the Klaipėda resident recalled the turnaround that took place 18 years ago. – It’s a lot, a lot of work, sometimes at night. I started with the little things, digging into my computer. “

R. Šuika thinks that perhaps it had some advantages, because most of the officials who accepted state requests still did not manage “google”, and found clients, and also was able to speak with foreign suppliers. It was very helpful for him to make connections while playing in Denmark.

“Business is in our blood. Those who lived in the Soviet era, in 1985-1995, were all one or the other entrepreneur, because we had to think about how to survive,” said A.Šuika, whose company chairs were delivered and installed. 9 years ago at the Kaunas “Žalgiris” stadium. – The current generation is sometimes surprised that everything with me is based on the prism of business, but we grew up like this: in those days, everyone sold each other, they went to Poland To trade, those times were difficult, but they gave an entrepreneurial perception. Our great supermarket developers did the same: they drove to Poland or Russia, they flew to Turkey or China.

So I had no other way after finishing my football career. From sports teams, then we move on to sports clubs, the business model is constantly changing, modern technologies are emerging. New ideas are coming, I have no doubt there will be more, just don’t fall asleep. “

He announced the soccer revolution.

In 2015, A. Šuika was among the revolutionaries, when together with Valdas Ivanauskas, Raimonds Karpavičius, Česlavs Okinčics, Laurynas Kasčiūnas appeared at a press conference and announced the shortcomings of the country’s football and its aspirations to change the government of the then Federation of Lithuania.

The revolution quickly subsided, but A. Šuika believes that certain changes have occurred.

“The president has changed, the secretary general, the most important thing has been achieved, there has been a change. Of course, they are small, slow, but now young people have appeared: Tomas Danilevičius, Edgaras Stankevičius, maybe things will move in some way way I have some hope

It just takes a long time, at least ten years of hard work, to see something. Also, let’s not forget that everyone else is not waiting: they are moving, growing, developing, so it will be very difficult for us to catch up. “

A.Šuika also kicked the ball in the veteran Klaip Klada competition.

He has always been concerned about football in his hometown, in one way or another he still received offers to contribute to Klaipeda’s “Atlantic”, but the historic port city club has been adrift against mismanagement for many years, until in recent years he won the second league after a famous betting torpedo.

“The great club died unless a miracle happened. “Neptūnas” moved, the soccer club they were creating seemed to be trying to start from the bottom, but there were similar attempts – “Klaipeda” and “Granite Klaipeda” – failed. You need strength, you need capital. Enthusiasm can only move at the amateur level.

We need a western soccer pyramid, but Klaipeda soccer school is budgeted, it is not possible to build a club pyramid. Everything slips like this.

The city government seems to want a normal soccer team, but it does not solve the main problems. Economic schools live for themselves, professional football for them. And the result is neither there nor there. Low-budget schools require results from children, but they haven’t been there for 30 years. We do not raise stars, the national team does not get anything out of that, we have good players in foreign clubs only in Poland or Russia and it is at a lower level. These are the consequences of a movement that did not exist, said A. Šuika. – For now, everything is forgotten and abandoned. I have neither the desire nor the ability to change one, and practice shows that those who try it are experiencing great difficulties, both betting loops and old events have made football unattractive to developers.

Maybe this will change, but today there is an empty and forgotten niche where everything goes wrong, especially in Klaipeda: the situation here is catastrophic.

For me, football has remained in my heart, I still feel the desire to develop something beautiful. However, I have no big plans for soccer until today, unless a serious company invites me to participate in the development of a normal project. Even in the city of Klaipeda. Then maybe “.