The Lithuanian football champion Vilnius "Žalgiris" will play in the Champions League selection with the team from North Macedonia "FC Struga" in the capital on July 11-12, Vilnius "Žalgiris" announces.
It will take place in Vilnius on the specified days NATO the summit.
Taking this into account, at the end of March, Žalgiris wrote to UEFA with a request not to organize matches in Lithuania at that time. The answer was received that any decision could be made only after the drawing of lots.
After the draw, representatives of the North Macedonia club were immediately informed about possible challenges on the mentioned dates, and UEFA was also reminded about the situation.
Assessing the situation, UEFA announced that the match venues can only be changed with the consent of both clubs, but Struga did not give such consent.
"We congratulate all football fans on the upcoming long-awaited holiday. It is a great honor for us to represent Lithuania in such a tournament as the Champions League. We have made every effort to change the match date as we believe it would be beneficial for all parties. Thanks to UEFA and LFF for mediation, but our opponent did not agree, so we had to stick to the draw date. We ask for everyone's patience and understanding as we adapt to the emergency situation. The support of the fans is very important for the team, so we will wait for everyone at the stadium", says Vilma Venslovaitienė, director of "Žalgiris".
The teams' first match will be played in Vilnius, at the Lithuanian Football Federation Stadium, on July 11. (Tuesday) from 19 p.m.
The rivals plan to hold the return match in North Macedonia, at the Biljanini Izvori Stadium in Ohrid on July 19. (Wednesday) from 17 p.m. local time (18:XNUMX Lithuanian time).
"Žalgiris" communication manager Vaidotas Januška has said that the club received a recommendation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs not to hold competitions on July 11-12.
According to him, the visiting team is responsible for the accommodation and flights.
The executive director of the Lithuanian Hotel and Restaurant Association, Eglė Ližaitytė, told BNS that all business class hotels in the center of Vilnius will be 100 percent occupied during the week of the NATO meeting.
Also, taking into account NATO's security requirements, from July 11 at 12:12 p.m. until July 14 at 30 p.m. in the airspace within a radius of XNUMX kilometers around "LitexpoAll flights of commercial aircraft will be banned from the exhibition hall.
In Vilnius, some institutions will be accessible only on foot, traffic will be restricted.
The author is Ingrida Steniulienė
