DFK Dainava
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Dzūkija Futbolo Klubas Dainava, also. Known as DFK Dainava, is a Lithuanian profesional football club from Alytus. The club was established in 2016 as a phoenix club after FK Dainava Alytus was dissolved in 2014.
History
The modern DFK Dainava was established after "Auska" and "Dzūkų tankai" were merged in 2016.
In 2015, FK Auska were playing in the Pirma Lyga. In 2016 the Lithuanian Football Federation allowed the club to change its name and allowed them to play in the Pirma Lyga (second tier).
In 2016, DFK Dainava came in ninth place and in 2017 they came in fourth place in the Pirma Lyga.
In the 2018 season, DFK Dainava were runners-up in the Pirma Lyga. In the relegation/promotion play-off match, they lost 0–3 to FK Palanga. On 3 November 2018, they lost the second match in Gargždai 0–2. FK Palanga won 5–0 on aggregate and saved their place in the 2019 A Lyga.
DFK Dainava sought promotion to the A Lyga in the 2019 season, but were unable to get sponsorship required for the league from the municipality of Alytus. As a result, the club remained in the I Lyga. They have finished 2019 LFF I Lyga in fourth position, and attempted to obtain a licence for A Lyga again in the 2020 season. The application was again declined.
In March 2021 before the start of the football season in Lithuania, DFK Dainava applied for a licence to play in the highest Lithuanian league tier of A Lyga in the 2021 season. The application was declined by the Lithuanian Football Federation as the club could not find a solution with stable finance and organise a women's football team. At the time, A Lyga had nine qualified teams who got permits and were able to compete in the league. DFK Dainava's application was granted by the Lithuanian Football Federation to play and compete in Lithuania's top-tier league as a 10th team, as DFK Dainava subsequently fixed all of the issues regarding sponsorship and stable finance. For the first time in DFK Dainava club history since re-creation in 2016, Alytus town will yet again have a men's football team competing in Lithuanian top-tier football league A Lyga. DFK Dainava started the season with -3 points as regulations and laws via the Lithuanian Football Federation. The first match for DFK Dainava in A Lyga was played on 6 March in Marijampolė against also newly promoted team FK Nevėžis, due to the city having a full sized indoor football ground and it is closest to Alytus.
In 2022, DFK Dainava were the league winners and were promoted to the 2023 A Lyga.[citation needed]
Turkmenistani coach Mergen Orazov was appointed on 24 June 2025.
Recent seasons
| Season | Level | Division | Position | Link | Movements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2. | I Lyga | 9. | ||
| 2017 | 2. | I Lyga | 4. | ||
| 2018 | 2. | I Lyga | 2. | ||
| 2019 | 2. | I Lyga | 4. | ||
| 2020 | 2. | I Lyga | 6. | Promoted to 2022 A Lyga | |
| 2021 | 1. | A Lyga | 9. | Relegated to I Lyga | |
| 2022 | 2. | I Lyga | 1. | Promoted to 2023 A Lyga | |
| 2023 | 1. | A Lyga | 8. | ||
| 2024 | 1. | A Lyga | 4. | ||
| 2025 | 1. | A Lyga | 10. | Relegated to I Lyga |
Kit evolution
| DFK Dainava | DFK Dainava |
|---|---|
| Kits | |
| 2016–2018 Traditional | 2016–2018 Alternative |
| 2019–2020 Home | 2019–2020 Away |
| 2021–present Home | 2021–present Away |
Stadium
DFK Dainava plays in the Alytus Stadium. It is a multi-use stadium in Alytus, Lithuania and holds 3,790 people. The stadium was renovated in 2010.
Current squad
As of 9 April, 2026
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. Pos. Nation Player 3 DF UKR Maksym Maksymenko 4 DF LTU Vasaris Vasiliauskas 7 FW GHA Evans Appiah 8 MF LTU Matas Maknevičius 11 FW UKR Nikita Savchuk 13 DF SEN Cheikh Faye 14 FW NGA Jeremiah Chinonso 17 FW NGA Christopher Ellah 18 MF UKR Ilya Kotov 19 MF LTU Titas Žukauskas 20 DF LTU Kasparas Sacevičius 22 MF LTU Benas Tribušinas | No. Pos. Nation Player 27 MF LTU Lukas Šiaudvytis 29 DF LTU Gustas Zabita 30 GK UKR Bogdan Mykytenko 33 DF LTU Lukas Genevičius 44 DF LTU Pijus Sabonis 54 MF CIV Mohamed Camara 67 FW LTU Domas Abečiūnas 77 GK LTU Airidas Mickevičius 78 MF UKR Vladyslav Shapoval 88 FW LTU Pijus Čepononis 98 DF ANG Bruno Pedro | ||
| 3 | DF | UKR | Maksym Maksymenko |
| 4 | DF | LTU | Vasaris Vasiliauskas |
| 7 | FW | GHA | Evans Appiah |
| 8 | MF | LTU | Matas Maknevičius |
| 11 | FW | UKR | Nikita Savchuk |
| 13 | DF | SEN | Cheikh Faye |
| 14 | FW | NGA | Jeremiah Chinonso |
| 17 | FW | NGA | Christopher Ellah |
| 18 | MF | UKR | Ilya Kotov |
| 19 | MF | LTU | Titas Žukauskas |
| 20 | DF | LTU | Kasparas Sacevičius |
| 22 | MF | LTU | Benas Tribušinas |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 27 | MF | LTU | Lukas Šiaudvytis |
| 29 | DF | LTU | Gustas Zabita |
| 30 | GK | UKR | Bogdan Mykytenko |
| 33 | DF | LTU | Lukas Genevičius |
| 44 | DF | LTU | Pijus Sabonis |
| 54 | MF | CIV | Mohamed Camara |
| 67 | FW | LTU | Domas Abečiūnas |
| 77 | GK | LTU | Airidas Mickevičius |
| 78 | MF | UKR | Vladyslav Shapoval |
| 88 | FW | LTU | Pijus Čepononis |
| 98 | DF | ANG | Bruno Pedro |
Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. Pos. Nation Player |
Managers
- Lithuania Ričardas Grigaliūnas (March – June 2016)
- Lithuania Darius Gvildys (June 2016 – December 2017)
- Lithuania Donatas Vencevičius (January – December 2018)
- Norway Kim Rønningstad (2019)
- Poland Łukasz Hass (2020)
- Italy Fabio Mazzone (August 2020)
- Lithuania Tomas Ražanauskas (April 2021)
- Portugal Matthew Silva (February – May 2022)
- Belarus Sergey Kuznetsov (May 2022 – May 2025)
- Turkmenistan Mergen Orazov (24 June 2025 – January 2026)
- Poland Mikołaj Raczyński (19 March 2026 – present)