Football is one of the top two most popular sports in Lithuania by the quantity of active sportsmen. However, with only 52,000 match spectators a year in all top league matches, it falls far behind country's most popular sport, basketball. Other variations of football like futsal, 5-a-side to 8-a-side football, beach soccer have become fairly popular as well. The former Soviet republic made their return as an independent football nation in 1992. In the qualification for the Euro 2004, Lithuania held Germany to a 1–1 draw in Germany and won against Scotland. In the qualification for Euro 2008 they played away to the 2006 World Cup winnersItaly and drew 1–1. They also defeated Romania 3–0 in Lithuania, in another shock performance.
History
In 1922 in Lithuania first local soccer championships began, largest ones being in Kaunas, Klaipėda and Šiauliai counties. Since 1931 a country-wide soccer championships were held regularly each year. During soviet occupation, some Lithuanian soccer clubs participated in USSR football championship, whereas others chose to play in Lithuanian SSR league. After regaining the independence in 1991, the Lithuanian football league system was restored.
Domestic football
The highest current men's football league – A Lyga, the second tier I Lyga, and the third tier is II Lyga were founded in 1991 by the Lithuanian Football Federation. The fourth tier III Lyga championships are organized by 10 county football federations. The fifth tier competitions are organized by Vilnius RegionFootball Federation, and called the Sunday Football League. At one stage the SFL expanded country-wide, but then contracted back to Vilnius Region only. At the moment, lower than fourth tier competitions are organized at county, region, or city level, and often at 8 or even fewer a side. At the end of the season, the A Lyga winners will be awarded the LFF Championship Cup and the transitional LFF Champions Cup, which will acquire the right to represent Lithuania in the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. The last placed team in the A league is relegated to I Lyga, and the winner of I Lyga is promoted to A Lyga. The team placed one before last plays a playoff game with second placed team in the I Lyga. The number of teams in I Lyga is maximum 16, however it fluctuates each year. Bottom 2-4 teams are relegated to II Lyga, and the winners of each II Lyga groups gain promotion to I Lyga. However, in recent years due to the lack of participating clubs, frequent club collapses, and changing financial fortunes, the promotion and relegation rules are not frequently followed. It is rather the licensing process that determines which league clubs are able to play each year.
