DFK Dainava

Dzūkija Futbolo Klubas Dainava, in short, DFK Dainava, is a Lithuanian football club from Alytus. The club was established in 2016 as a phoenix club after FK Dainava Alytus was dissolved in 2014.

Dainava

Full name	Dzūkija futbolo klubas Dainava
Nickname(s)	Alytiškiai, Dzūkai
Founded	1935[1][2] 2016 (last refounded)
Ground	Alytus Stadium
Capacity	3,790
Chairman	Žydrūnas Lukošiūnas
Head coach	Mergen Orazov
League	A Lyga
2024	A Lyga, 4th of 10
Website	http://www.dfkdainava.com/
Home colours Away colours

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^[3] and in 2017 they came in fourth place in the Pirma Lyga.^[4]

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.^[5][6][7][8] 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.^[9]

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.^[10][11] 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,^[12] 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]}

Turkmen coach Mergen Orazov was introduced on June 24, 2025. ^[13][14][15]

Recent seasons

Season	Level	Division	Position	Link	Movements
2016	2.	Pirma lyga	9.	[16]
2017	2.	Pirma lyga	4.	[17]
2018	2.	Pirma lyga	2.	[18]
2019	2.	Pirma lyga	4.	[19]
2020	2.	Pirma lyga	6.	[20]	Promoted to 2022 A Lyga
2021	1.	A lyga	9.	[21]	Relegated to Pirma lyga
2022	2.	Pirma lyga	1.	[22]	Promoted to 2023 A Lyga
2023	1.	A lyga	8.	[23]
2024	1.	A lyga	4.	[24]
2025	1.	A lyga	.	[25]

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

Alytus Stadium

Main article: Alytus 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 12 July, 2025

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 1 GK  UKR Volodymyr Krynskyi 3 DF  UKR Maksym Maksymenko 4 MF  NED Koen Oostenbrink 5 DF  GEO Nikoloz Chikovani (on loan from Liepaja) 6 MF  LTU Renatas Banevičius 7 MF  UKR Artem Baftalovskyi 10 MF  SRB Marko Pavlovski 13 DF  SEN Cheikh Faye 14 FW  NGA Obi Jeremiah Chinonso 17 MF  LTU Denis Ževžikovas 22 DF  GEO Nikoloz Nakashidze 23 MF  UKR Ivan Koshkosh 24 DF  LTU Naglis Paliušis

No. Pos. Nation Player 26 MF  BRA Reginaldo Júnior 27 MF  LTU Lukas Šiaudvytis 28 GK  LVA Klavs Lauva 29 DF  LTU Gustas Zabita 30 DF  LTU Oskaras Lukošiūnas 33 DF  UKR Vladyslav Zagladko 37 FW  POL Krystian Okoniewski 55 DF  MDA Artiom Litveacov 70 DF  BLR Marat Krasikov 75 MF  LTU Ernestas Stočkūnas 77 GK  LTU Airidas Mickevičius — DF  SSD Manyumow Achol — DF  BRA Daniel Alemão

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 — DF  BRA Emanuel Santos (at Aparecidense) — MF  NGA Peter Ademo (at Sheriff)

Managers

• Ričardas Grigaliūnas (March, 2016 – June, 2016)
• Darius Gvildys (June, 2016 – end of 2017)
• Donatas Vencevičius (January, 2018 – end of 2018)
• Kim Rønningstad (2019)^[26]
• Łukasz Hass (2020)
• Fabio Mazzone (August, 2020) ^[27]
• Tomas Ražanauskas (April, 2021)^[28]
• Matthew Silva (February, 2022 – May 2022)^[29][30]
• Sergey Kuznetsov (May 2022 – 3 May 2025)^[31]
• Mergen Orazov (24 June 2025 – nowadays)