Ramunas Siskauskas is not going to play for Lithuanian national team ever again. CSKA Moscow forward rejected Vladas Garastas’ persuasion to return from international retirement, stating that these type of talks need to stop.
32-year-old player was officially asked to help the national team but was less than impressed with the invitation.
‘I said “good bye” once to the national team after Beijing Olympics and I thought that the talks about the national team will be finished with that. Though I am constantly asked whether I’ll make a comeback twice a year’, Siskauskas said in an interview to lrytas.lt
Siskauskas confirmed that he has no plans to change his decision:
‘I heard that Vladas Garastas asked me to return. I can repeat once again that I won’t. I will not change my decision.’
The player was unhappy that the pressure is being put on him by public statements such as the one by Vladas Garastas.
‘When I had a bad game fans felt bad, when I retired they felt bad, when I am not returning – they feel very bad.
‘I can’t be good to all fans. So I’m not trying to do that because I’ll be guilty anyway.’
Garastas himself wasn’t disappointed to learn that Siskauskas will not be joining national team. Here’s what he said to 15min.lt:
‘If he doesn’t come, then he doesn’t come. I addressed the player who grew on Lithuanian land, where he had the conditions to do sports. Now it is a difficult time for the national team and it needs help.
‘I can only compare it to the building of independent Lithuania in 1918. People laid their heads to build the country.
‘It was harder back then than it is now – now you can come and talk to the coach about the workload. I think it isn’t difficult. But if he (Siskauskas) thinks differently then I have nothing more to say.
‘If we asked [him] to come then it means that help was needed.
‘In 1939 (Lithuania hosted EuroBasket in 1939 and won it – auth.) there were options as national team brought players from USA (there were several Lithuanian migrants from USA on the national team – auth.). We won’t bring them from America now.
‘It seems that things are more simple now – somebody has to come from Moscow… If that isn’t done then I can’t say anything more.’
