Valdemaras Martinkenas
Encyclopedia
Valdemaras Martinkėnas (10 March 1965 – 20 July 2004) was a Soviet
and Lithuania
n professional footballer and coach.
Born in Alytus
, Martinkėnas was the goalkeeper for the Lithuanian national team
in the years after independence from the USSR, appearing in most of the qualifying games for the 1994 World Cup. He won 19 caps for his country.
He also won the Lithuanian league championship with Zalgiris Vilnius in 1991, and starred in Dynamo Kyiv's 1992-93 Ukrainian league championship win. Later, he became goalkeeping coach to the Estonian national side
.
Martinkėnas died at the age of 39 in Nova Gorica
in Slovenia
, drowning in a strong current after having gone for a swim in a mountain river. He was the goalkeeping coach of Flora Tallinn at the time, and was in Slovenia preparing for their Champions League
qualifier against NK Gorica.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n professional footballer and coach.
Born in Alytus
Alytus
Alytus is a city with municipal rights in southern Lithuania. It is the capital of Alytus County. Its population in 2007 was 68,835. Alytus is the historical centre of the Dzūkija region. The city lies on the banks of the Nemunas River. The major highways linking Vilnius, Kaunas, Lazdijai, and...
, Martinkėnas was the goalkeeper for the Lithuanian national team
Lithuania national football team
The national football team of Lithuania is under the auspices of the Lithuanian Football Federation. It played its first match in 1923. In 1940, Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union; the country regained its independence in 1990 and played their first match as a new nation against Georgia on...
in the years after independence from the USSR, appearing in most of the qualifying games for the 1994 World Cup. He won 19 caps for his country.
He also won the Lithuanian league championship with Zalgiris Vilnius in 1991, and starred in Dynamo Kyiv's 1992-93 Ukrainian league championship win. Later, he became goalkeeping coach to the Estonian national side
Estonia national football team
The Estonia national football team represents Estonia in international association football. Team members are selected by the head coach of Estonian Football Association . Estonia play their home matches at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....
.
Martinkėnas died at the age of 39 in Nova Gorica
Nova Gorica
Nova Gorica ; 21,082 ; 31,000 ) is a town and a municipality in western Slovenia, on the border with Italy...
in Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, drowning in a strong current after having gone for a swim in a mountain river. He was the goalkeeping coach of Flora Tallinn at the time, and was in Slovenia preparing for their Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
qualifier against NK Gorica.
Honours
- A LygaA LygaThe A Lyga is the top division of professional football in Lithuania. It is organized by LFF . League size has varied between 8 and 12 teams over the past few years; for its 2011 season, the league features 12 teams...
champion: 1991. - A Lyga bronze: 1990.
- Ukrainian Premier LeagueUkrainian Premier LeagueThe Ukrainian Premier League is the highest division of Ukrainian annual football championship. As the Supreme League it was founded in 1991 after the fold of the Soviet Union's Vysshaya Liga. In 2008 it was reformed into a more autonomous entity of the Football Federation of Ukraine and changed...
champion: 1993. - Ukrainian Premier League runner-up: 1992.
European club competitions
- UEFA Cup 1989–90 with FK Žalgiris VilniusFK Žalgiris VilniusVMFD Žalgiris is a Lithuanian football club, playing in the capital, Vilnius. They have won the Lithuanian Championship three times: 1991, 1992, and 1999. The team's colours are green and white...
: 4 games. - European Cup 1990–91 with FC Dynamo KyivFC Dynamo KyivFC Dynamo Kyiv is a professional football club based in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. Founded in 1927, the club currently participates in the Ukrainian Premier League and has spent its entire history in the top league of Soviet and later Ukrainian football...
: 2 games.