Valdemaras Martinkėnas facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 10 March 1965 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Alytus, Lithuanian SSR, Soviet Union | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 20 July 2004 (aged 39) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Nova Gorica, Slovenia | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1984–1987 | FK Žalgiris Vilnius | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1988 | FK Atlantas | 37 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1991 | FK Žalgiris Vilnius | 67 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1993 | Dynamo Kyiv | 24 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1994 | Dynamo-2 Kyiv | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1996 | FC Wil | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996 | FC Haka | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Lelle SK | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | KAMAZ | 19 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1999 | Kareda Šiauliai | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | FC Kuressaare | |||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1997 | Lithuania | 19 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | Kareda Šiauliai | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | FC Flora Tallinn (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Estonia (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Valdemaras Martinkėnas was a talented football player and coach from Lithuania. He was born on March 10, 1965, and sadly passed away on July 20, 2004. He played as a goalkeeper for many teams and for his country's national team.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Valdemaras was born in Alytus, a city in Lithuania. He became a goalkeeper, which is the player who protects the goal in football. After Lithuania became independent from the Soviet Union, Valdemaras played for the Lithuanian national team. He played in many important games, including those to qualify for the 1994 World Cup. He played for his country 19 times!
He also helped his teams win big championships. In 1991, he won the Lithuanian league championship with FK Žalgiris Vilnius. Later, he was a key player when Dynamo Kyiv won the Ukrainian league championship in the 1992–93 season.
Later Years and Coaching
After his playing career, Valdemaras became a coach. He specialized in coaching goalkeepers. He even became the goalkeeping coach for the Estonian national team. This shows how respected he was in the football world.
Tragic Passing
Valdemaras Martinkėnas passed away at the age of 39 in Nova Gorica, Slovenia. He was there as the goalkeeping coach for FC Flora Tallinn, preparing for a big Champions League game. He went for a swim in a mountain river and drowned in a strong current. It was a very sad loss for the football community.
Major Achievements
Valdemaras Martinkėnas achieved several important wins during his football career:
- Lithuanian League Champion: He won the A Lyga title in 1991 with FK Žalgiris Vilnius.
- Lithuanian League Bronze: His team also finished third in the A Lyga in 1990.
- Ukrainian League Champion: He won the Ukrainian Premier League title in 1993 with FC Dynamo Kyiv.
- Ukrainian League Runner-up: His team also finished second in the Ukrainian Premier League in 1992.
Playing in European Competitions
Valdemaras also played in big European club tournaments. These are competitions where top teams from different countries play against each other.
- 1989–90 UEFA Cup: He played 4 games with FK Žalgiris Vilnius.
- 1990–91 European Cup: He played 2 games with FC Dynamo Kyiv.
