Žalgiris Kaunas management have accepted the resignation letter presented by coach Gintaras Krapikas this afternoon.

(Talk Lithuanian Basketball in our forum)

The stepping down came after the bad campaign in the Euroleague and the heavy loss away yesterday to Barcelona 89 to 55.

Krapikas, who had signed a contract extension in the summer, thinks the club still has chances to qualify for the Top 16 stage, and so decided to quit the job to help the team.

Žalgiris has won just one game, their first against Villeurbanne, out of eight played so far in the competition.

Until a new head coach is hired, assistant Darius Maskoliūnas will guide the team.

Krapikas, who is a former player of Žalgiris, began his coaching career in Germany as an assistant and later transferred to the green club. Between 2006 and 2008 he was in Russia with UNICS Kazan and then returned to Žalgiris to assume the head coach post.

Go to Basket-Spot for the original article and translation in Portuguese.