Edgaras Jankauskas

Edgaras Jankauskas (born 12 March 1975) is a Lithuanian football manager and former professional player. He is the manager of the Lithuania national team.

Edgaras Jankauskas
Jankauskas as a Skonto player
Personal information
Date of birth (1975-03-12) 12 March 1975[1]
Place of birth Vilnius, Lithuanian SSR, Soviet Union
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Lithuania (manager)
Youth career
Panerys Vilnius
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1991–1996 Žalgiris Vilnius 93 (41)
1996 CSKA Moscow 18 (9)
1997 Torpedo Moscow 29 (10)
1997–1999 Club Brugge 52 (16)
2000–2002 Real Sociedad 56 (19)
2002 → Benfica (loan) 12 (8)
2002–2005 Porto 64 (19)
2004–2005 → Nice (loan) 24 (2)
2005–2007 FBK Kaunas 0 (0)
2005–2007 → Hearts (loan) 37 (9)
2007–2008 AEK Larnaca 15 (5)
2008 Belenenses 5 (0)
2008 Skonto Riga 10 (2)
2009 REO LT Vilnius 4 (8)
2009–2010 New England Revolution 14 (2)
2011 Fakel Voronezh 10 (0)
Total 443 (150)
International career
1991–2008 Lithuania 56 (10)
Managerial career
2011–2012 Lokomotiv Moscow (assistant)
2012–2013 Hearts (assistant)
2014 Trakai
2016–2018 Lithuania
2022 FK Riteriai (forward)
2022–2023 Al-Bukiryah (forward)
2023– Lithuania
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

A powerful forward during his playing career, Jankauskas excelled in the physical side of the game. Other than in his native Lithuania, he played professionally in nine countries, and represented the Lithuania national team for almost 20 years.

Whilst with Porto, Jankauskas made history as the first Lithuanian footballer to win the Champions League, in 2004.[2] Ten years later, he began working as a full-time manager, leading his nation in two spells.

Club career

Early years and Brugge

Born in Vilnius, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Union, Jankauskas moved to local FK Žalgiris' youth ranks at 16, from neighbouring FK Panerys. In 1996 he joined PFC CSKA Moscow, and later spent a further year in the Russian capital with FC Torpedo.

Jankauskas signed with Club Brugge KV in 1997, and helped the club win the Belgian Pro League in his first season. However, in January 2000, he became the most expensive Lithuanian player of all time when Real Sociedad paid €2.4 million for his services.[3]

In 2000–01, Jankauskas initially struggled for goals, and was told by manager John Toshack that "a striker without goals is like a bar without beer". He broke a seven-game scoreless run with two goals in a 3–0 home win over Real Oviedo on the 29th matchday, taking La Real out of their long spell in relegation zone; they remained out of danger and he concluded the season with 11 goals.[4] In the penultimate fixture, he opened a 3–1 win at rivals Athletic Bilbao in the Basque derby.[5]

Portugal

After another half-season in San Sebastián, Jankauskas was loaned to S.L. Benfica for the remainder of the 2001–02 season, though the Lisbon side initially wanted his strike partner Darko Kovačević. He scored eight times in his spell, including on his debut in a 3–2 win over Varzim S.C. and twice in the next game for a 4–1 win at S.C. Salgueiros.[6]

Benfica did not take up their option to sign Jankauskas for €4.3 million during his loan,[7] and instead he joined rivals FC Porto on a five-year deal for €2.3 million in June 2002.[8] He caused controversy by declaring to El Diario Vasco that Benfica was like a religion before signing for Porto; he clarified that he was talking about their level of support and not his intention to stay at the Estádio da Luz.[9][10]

Jankauskas made his debut on 25 August as the season began at home to C.F. Os Belenenses, coming on at half time and scoring in the seventh minute of added time for a 2–2 draw.[11][12] Under manager José Mourinho, though not always a regular starter, he made an important contribution[13] to a side which conquered all in Portugal, winning the Primeira Liga and Taça de Portugal double in 2002–03 and the national championship in the following campaign.

Jankauskas also helped Porto to achieve European success and, while he missed selection for the 2003 UEFA Cup final-winning squad, he was a substitute when the Dragons won the UEFA Champions League against AS Monaco FC in the following year.[14]

Hearts and later career

After the departure of Mourinho, Jankauskas fell out of favour in Porto and joined OGC Nice on loan,[15] but he failed to settle in France and eventually signed for Scottish Premier League club Heart of Midlothian – via FBK Kaunas – in 2005.[16] In a complex deal, he was loaned to Hearts at the behest of Vladimir Romanov, who controlled both clubs, and spent the next two seasons in Edinburgh.

In 2005–06, Jankauskas' experience and goals helped Hearts to win the Scottish Cup and achieve Champions league qualification by finishing second in the league.[17][18] The following campaign was less successful for him, as injuries and indifferent form limited his appearances; after his Kaunas and Hearts contracts expired in June 2007,[19] he signed with Cyprus's AEK Larnaca FC.

On 30 January 2008, Jankauskas joined Portuguese League team Belenenses.[20] He terminated his contract after only a few months, moving to Latvia's Skonto FC in the summer after claiming he wanted to play closer to his homeland.

At the start of 2009, Jankauskas was working on obtaining his coaching badges, and pondering his retirement. In June, however, it was revealed that he would be heading to the United States for a trial with Major League Soccer club New England Revolution. On 28 June 2009, pending the arrival of his P1 Visa and ITC documents, a deal was arranged for the 34-year-old;[21] his week 26 goal against the Kansas City Wizards was nominated for the MLS Goal of the Year Award.[22]

On 30 September 2010, Jankauskas was released by the Revolution.[23] He moved to FC Fakel Voronezh in the Russian second level shortly after, retiring after only a couple of months.

In July 2012, Jankauskas returned to Hearts as an assistant manager,[24] leaving his post at the end of the season.[25]

International career

Jankauskas was an important part of the Lithuanian national side since 1991 when, at the age of just 16, he helped the country to the 1991 Baltic Cup, playing the last 30 minutes of the 4–1 final win against Estonia.[26] He scored his first international goal on 5 October 1996, in a 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Iceland (2–0), and went on to net a further nine in 56 appearances, in eighteen years of play (he did not appear for the national team, however, from 1992 to 1995).

On 12 January 2016, after a brief spell at club level with FK Trakai, Jankauskas replaced Igoris Pankratjevas at the helm of Lithuania.[27] His debut on 23 March was a 1–0 friendly loss away to Romania, who were 16th in the FIFA Men's World Ranking.[28] On 4 December 2018, he was dismissed, having won only three games – one competitive, against Malta in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – and been relegated to the bottom tier of the UEFA Nations League by losing all six games.[29][30]

Jankauskas returned to the national job in February 2023, on a one-year deal.[31]

International goals
Scores and results list Lithuania's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Jankauskas goal.[32]
List of international goals scored by Edgaras Jankauskas
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
15 October 1996Žalgiris Stadium, Vilnius, Lithuania Iceland1–02–01998 World Cup qualification
29 October 1996Žalgiris Stadium, Vilnius, Lithuania Liechtenstein1–02–11998 World Cup qualification
330 April 1997Sportpark Eschen-Mauren, Eschen, Liechtenstein Liechtenstein1–02–01998 World Cup qualification
43 June 2000S.Darius and S.Girėnas, Kaunas, Lithuania Armenia1–11–2Friendly
515 August 2001S.Darius and S.Girėnas, Kaunas, Lithuania Israel1–12–3Friendly
64 September 2004Pays de Charleroi, Charleroi, Belgium Belgium1–11–12006 World Cup qualification
78 September 2004S.Darius and S.Girėnas, Kaunas, Lithuania San Marino1–04–02006 World Cup qualification
88 September 2004S.Darius and S.Girėnas, Kaunas, Lithuania San Marino2–04–02006 World Cup qualification
96 February 2007La Courneuve, Paris, France Mali1–11–3Friendly
1012 September 2007S.Darius and S.Girėnas, Kaunas, Lithuania Faroe Islands1–02–1Euro 2008 qualifying

Managerial statistics
As of 20 November 2018[33]
Team Nat From To Record
GWDLWin %
Lithuania Lithuania 12 January 2016 4 December 2018 26 3 4 19 011.54
Total 26 3 4 19 011.54

Honours

Žalgiris

Club Brugge

Porto

Hearts

Lithuania

Individual

References
  1. "Lithuania – E. Jankauskas – Profile with news, career statistics and history – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  2. "Jankauskas gets Lithuanian salute". UEFA. 17 December 2004. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  3. "Los fichajes invernales de la Real Sociedad" [Real Sociedad's winter signings]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). 26 December 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  4. Carballo, Pablo (8 November 2022). "Larsen, como un bar sin cerveza" [Larsen, like a bar without beer]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  5. Vivanco, Joseba (22 February 2013). "De los cinco goles de Zarra al 1–3 de Jankauskas y compañía [sic]" [From Zarra's five goals to the 1–3 by Jankauskas and company]. Gara (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  6. "Jankauskas: da Lituânia para Portugal" [Jankauskas: from Lithuania to Portugal] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 31 May 2002. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  7. "Jankauskas diz que «o Benfica é uma religião», mas não sabe se fica" [Jankauskas says that "Benfica is a religion", but does not know if he's staying] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 30 May 2002. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  8. "Porto sign Jankauskas". UEFA. 3 June 2002. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  9. Caetano, Filipe (5 July 2002). "Jankauskas esclarece: «Nunca disse que o Benfica era a minha religião»" [Jankauskas clarifies: "I never said that Benfica was my religion"] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  10. Paralta Gomes, Lídia (14 November 2009). "Jankauskas: "O Benfica é uma religião, sim, para os benfiquistas. Era, é e será assim. Há crianças que nascem com a camisola do Benfica"" [Jankauskas: "Benfica is a religion, yes, for the Benfica fans. It was, is and will be that way. There are children who are born in Benfica shirts"]. Expresso (in Portuguese). Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  11. "FC PORTO-BELENENSES, 2–2 (Postiga 66, Jankauskas 90; Neca 12, 88 [pen])". Record (in Portuguese). 25 August 2002. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  12. "Jose Mourinho's unbeaten home league run remembered". BBC Sport. 18 February 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  13. "Jankauskas: "Concorrência não me assusta"" [Jankauskas: «I'm not scared by competition»]. Record (in Portuguese). 3 August 2003. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  14. "Porto perform to perfection". UEFA. 27 May 2004. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  15. Jankauskas to set French first; UEFA, 31 August 2004
  16. "Jankauskas joins Hearts attack". UEFA. 25 July 2005. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  17. Hearts 3–0 Motherwell; BBC Sport, 18 February 2006
  18. Falkirk 1–2 Hearts; BBC Sport, 25 March 2006
  19. Hearts announce Jankauskas exit; BBC Sport, 1 June 2007
  20. "Jankauskas no Belenenses" [Jankauskas to Belenenses] (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 30 January 2008. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  21. "Revolution add Lithuanian forward Jankauskas". World News Network. 2 July 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  22. "Revolution's Jankauskas named finalist for AT&T Goal of the Year". Our Sports Central. 11 November 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  23. "Revolution release Edgaras Jankauskas". New England Revolution. 30 September 2010. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
  24. "Hearts appoint Edgaras Jankauskas as Hearts assistant". BBC Sport. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  25. "Hearts: Edgaras Jankauskas & board member leave club". BBC Sport. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  26. "1991 matches". RSSSF. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  27. "Lietuvos futbolo rinktinės treneriu patvirtintas E. Jankauskas" [Lithuanian national football team coach confirmed E. Jankauskas] (in Lithuanian). Lithuanian Football Federation. 12 January 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  28. Šadbaras, Donatas (24 March 2016). "Lietuvos futbolo rinktinės treneriu patvirtintas E. Jankauskas" [Analysis of the loss to Romania: changes by E. Jankauskas, tactical tricks and a fatal mistake] (in Lithuanian). 15min. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  29. "E. Jankauskas palieka Lietuvos rinktinės trenerio postą" [E. Jankauskas leaves national team manager position] (in Lithuanian). Lithuanian Football Federation. 4 December 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  30. "Sudie, E. Jankauskai. Lietuvos futbolo rinktinė turės naują trenerį" [Bye, E. Jankauskas. Lithuanian football team will have a new coach] (in Lithuanian). Lithuanian National Radio and Television. 4 December 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  31. "Prie rinktinės vairo vėl stojęs Jankauskas atviras: galėjau pabėgti, bet tektų pripažinti, kad išsigandau" [Jankauskas, who is back at the helm of the national team, is open: I could have escaped, but I have to admit that I was scared] (in Lithuanian). Lithuanian National Radio and Television. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  32. "Edgaras Jankauskas". European Football. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  33. Edgaras Jankauskas coach profile at Soccerway
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