Lithuanian champions FK Kauno Žalgiris have found a replacement for head coach Eivinas Černiauskas, who led the team for the past year and a half. The Kaunas club will now be managed by experienced 51-year-old Croatian coach Željko Sopic.

Sopić is a former professional footballer who played for clubs in Croatia, Israel and Germany, including the well-known Borussia Mönchengladbach.

After retiring from professional football in 2011 at NK Lokomotiva Zagreb, he immediately joined the club's coaching staff. In 2014, he became a head coach for the first time, taking charge of NK Rudeš in Zagreb.

He later spent several years within the Dinamo Zagreb system, coaching the reserve team and even serving as interim head coach of the senior side for several matches.

In 2019, Sopic also worked in the United Arab Emirates with Al Ain FC, before establishing himself as a head coach in Europe.

He first managed Sabah FC in Baku, Azerbaijan, then HNK Gorica in Croatia's top division. During the 2023–24 season, he coached HNK Rijeka, enjoying an outstanding campaign.

Under Sopic's leadership, Rijeka finished as runners-up in the Croatian league and also reached the Croatian Cup final that same season.

At the beginning of 2025, he became head coach of Widzew Lodz in Poland's top division before ending the year with Croatian top-flight club NK Osijek.

"This coach has worked with strong clubs and in competitive leagues, coached high-level footballers, and brings a wealth of experience. The teams he has managed have played an intense, aggressive, attacking style of football, and those were exactly the qualities we were looking for in a coach. We wanted someone whose playing style aligns with our club's football philosophy," said the club's sporting director, Darius Šinkūnas.

Throughout his coaching career, Sopic has led teams not only in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League, but also managed Dinamo Zagreb in a UEFA Champions League group-stage match.

Joining Sopić at Kauno Žalgiris will be analyst Josip Paušić and fitness coach Ivan Čuković, both of whom have worked with him at previous clubs. Čuković replaces Rimantas Česnulis, who has left the club.

The rest of the Kauno Žalgiris coaching staff will remain unchanged, with assistant coach Algis Jankauskas, goalkeeping coach Audrius Ramonas, and analyst Rokas Pranaitis continuing in their respective roles.