2022 Lithuania
Tautvydas told us several years ago that the Russians want the former Soviet republics back. Even then he warned of a war.
Grūtas Park is a sculpture park near Druskininkai. It was created by the Lithuanian entrepreneur and “mushroom king” Viliumas Malinauskas and opened on 1 April 2001. It contains Soviet-era sculptures left behind by the Russians. The founder promptly received the Ig Nobel Prize, a satirical award meant to “celebrate the unusual and honour the imaginative”. The Russians are still not very enthusiastic to this day.
The restaurant in Grūtas Park. Just as bizarre as the collection itself – and therefore recommended.
To make the sculptures look really big, the Soviets usually placed them on imposing, boastfully high columns (perhaps also so they couldn’t be damaged). Displayed at ground level in the park, these gentlemen have lost much of their frightening force.
The vast majority of Lithuanians saw the Soviets as occupiers and despised their symbols. Most Lithuanian families lost relatives who were murdered by the Soviets, locals told us. The satirical treatment of the sculptures probably helps a little in coming to terms with this. Here a group photo in front of half a Lenin.
The partly gigantic figures are out of time in every respect. The war in Ukraine, however, gives them an uncomfortable topicality.
The team captains before the tournament. Together they will raise the Lithuanian flag in a moment.
A traditional act before the matches is the raising of the Lithuanian flag by the team captains.
This is what a proud, unbeaten team looks like. Shortly afterwards the tournament began. Martin Wilger, Sebastian Trepper, Christopher Heimer, Bernd Huck, Joscha Douma (top, from left); Ralf Klemm, Jan “Gogo” Gonsirowski, Martin Rahmlow, Andreas Izquierdo (bottom, from left).
The substitution zones in the stadium had been nicely prepared especially for the tournament.
Martin Rahmlow prepares for the matches. His nickname “the Kiel Axe” sounded promising, but was unfortunately not a very precise or accurate description of his style of play.
Technically skilled, with fighting spirit and dynamism instead of brute force beyond the rules. The Kiel Axe showed its true face.
“From here down it’s all wood,” colleague Wilger explained shortly before the tournament.
When Schalke fan Wilger fires up his turbo, there’s a danger his wooden leg will go up in flames. Still always good for a goal!
This is what it looks like when colleague Wilger’s doctors chose Pinocchio as the donor for his leg transplant.
Walking aids are allowed at our age. Rollators, however, must stay outside.
Joscha Douma on one of his runs down the left. The fine technician has a delicate left foot and set up most of the German goals with it.
In the middle, the tireless fighter Captain Klemmi (MEP of the tournament). On the left, Joscha Douma.
Driving forward against Poland with elegant ball control: Andy Izquierdo. The bestselling author won most of his duels and covered a remarkable distance.
Sebastian Trepper in action. He drew the opponents towards him and was usually a lone striker up front.
Full concentration without carnival music. Gogo saved many balls, then got injured but was freezing so badly that he decided to keep playing rather than keep freezing. And saved almost better than before. That’s attitude.
Christopher Heimer took part for the first time. He is versatile – he can play every position you can think of. The team needs men like that!
The Armenians were clearly too strong for us.
Celebrations in the Armenian team. The lads deservedly won.
A free kick by the jolly Latvians, which the brave Germans defiantly faced and managed to block. Why “jolly” Latvians? Because at every tournament they make a very relaxed and cheerful impression and like to play in sunglasses even on dull days, to reduce alcohol-related sensitivity to light. Playing them in the very first match of a tournament is a real advantage – they need a little while to get going. We took advantage of that and grabbed a 1–1 draw.
The one with the Mohican is Sebastian Trepper. Not his first time, but hard to recognise. Actually signed as a goalscorer, this time, after his quick goal against the Latvians, he had to work himself into the ground for the team. Joscha Douma in front.
At the end of the tournament: Messrs Huck, Wilger, Klemm and Izquierdo came through the matches largely unscathed.
Cheerful because the matches were survived once again, from left: Bernd Huck, Andreas Izquierdo, Schalke fan Martin Wilger in the background, and Joscha Douma.
In the middle, the captain of Ukraine’s small team. Their journey was not smooth: at present every Ukrainian man under 60 needs permission to leave the country.
All teams after the tournament. The Armenians had prepared for victory and brought the Armenian flag just in case. So had the jolly Latvians, by the way.
The (for us) new venue for the award ceremony at the Snow Arena.
Gogo grins to himself and likes listening to the Höhner in the morning. Otherwise he’s fine. He did, however, leave the tournament limping with a knee injury.
These two gentlemen are a permanent part of the barbecue show. They patiently turn the deer (you really have to like it) and then carve the animal down to the bone. Even the bones end up on the plates at the very end.
As always, Tautvydas organised the tournament and everything around it very well.
The winning team from Armenia came to Lithuania very well prepared. The lads even train (you read that right) – twice a week, no less. The German players had, at best, seen each other three years ago and have never trained. (Yes, exactly. All right. It shows.)
Captain Klemmi receives an award as the tournament’s “most experienced player”. That sounds much better than “oldest geezer of the tournament”. But our MEP is also the MVP of the German team.
Having stayed at the Hotel Royale in Druskininkai for the fifth time, finally a photo of the breakfast room (right) from the back and one of the associated buildings.
The European Basketball Championship took place at the same time as our tournament. Basketball is the number one sport in Lithuania; in the evening we watched Lithuania go out against Spain at the hotel (Spain knocked Germany out two rounds later). Every seat in the surrounding bars and restaurants was reserved.
A monster of steel and artificial snow: Europe’s largest indoor ski slope is in Druskininkai.
At Vilnius airport: a farewell beer. Martin, Andy and Seb. Return flights to Bremen, Düsseldorf and Eindhoven – travel arrangements were very individual this time.
These two, plus Gogo and Christopher, travelled by car. So no beer at KFC.
17th International Journalists' Football Tournament, Lithuania, 9.-11.9.2022
To Lithuania for the fifth time. This time perhaps with the greatest anticipation for the days in Druskininkai.
After the corona break finally play a tournament again. Grand.
This time the deer was grilled at the Ski Arena. The Germans have grown even older. Captain Klemmi receives another award, this time not as the oldest player of the tournament, but as "most experienced player".
As by far the oldest team, we had to manage our strength. After all, a victory against Ukraine was achieved. However, these guys had to wait ages at the border before they were allowed to leave the country to promote international understanding. Not possible to put oneself in their shoes.
- Goats instead of victories – Da brat mir doch einer 'nen Hirsch – a travelogue by Christopher Heimer
Here's how to play:
| Lithuania – Kaunas | 0:0 |
| Poland – Germany | 3:0 |
| Ukraine – Armenia | 1:5 |
| Latvia – Belarus | 2:1 |
| Lithuania – Ukraine | 5:2 |
| Kaunas – Armenia | 2:0 |
| Poland – Belarus | 0:0 |
| Lithuania – Poland | 2:0 |
| Kaunas – Germany | 4:0 |
| Poland – Ukraine | 0:3 |
| Lithuania – Germany | 6:1 |
| Kaunas – Belarus | 2:1 |
| Poland – Armenia | 0:4 |
| Ukraine – Belarus | 0:1 |
| Lithuania – Armenia | 0:2 |
| Kaunas – Ukraine | 2:1 |
| Germany – Armenia | 0:3 |
| Belarus – Armenia | 0:7 |
| Lithuania – Belarus | 2:1 |
| Kaunas – Latvia | 0:0 |
| Poland – Latvia | 2:1 |
| Germany – Ukraine | 1:0 |
| Lithuania – Latvia | 5:0 |
| Kaunas – Poland | 2:2 |
| Germany – Belarus | 1:2 |
| Ukraine – Latvia | 0:1 |
| 1. | Armenia | 27:3 | 18 |
| 2. | Lithuania | 21:6 | 16 |
| 3. | Kaunas | 12:4 | 15 |
| 4. | Poland | 7:12 | 8 |
| 5. | Latvia | 5:16 | 8 |
| 6. | Belarus | 6:15 | 7 |
| 7. | Germany | 4::19 | 4 |
| 8. | Ukraine | 9:18 | 3 |
2019 Lithuania