“Dainava Lacked Ambition”: Why Mergen Orazov Left Lithuania and His New Team Will Face Cristiano Ronaldo

Мерген Оразов
Mergen Orazov Photo by vestiabad.ru

“The club’s management believed that the team would stay in the top division anyway and, by doing so, effectively led it toward relegation. They failed to build a competitive squad. Many players left, and those who replaced them were, to put it mildly, far from the strongest. Almost none of the newcomers managed to break into the starting lineup. The candidates were not discussed with the head coach — he was simply informed after the fact. Orazov was offered the chance to stay, but without sensing any real ambition to return to the A Lyga, Mergen decided to leave the club,” Osipov explained.

Orazov previously served as head coach of the Turkmenistan national team and FC Ahal. In the summer of 2025, he took charge of Dainava, who were bottom of the Lithuanian league without a single win at the time. Orazov initially managed to turn the situation around and lift the team out of the relegation zone, but over the long run the club failed to secure survival in the A Lyga.

After leaving Dainava, Orazov joined Arkadag, who are preparing for AFC Champions League Two playoff matches against Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia, led by Cristiano Ronaldo.

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