"Beşiktaş" signs stars as "Kauno Žalgiris" rivals lure world vice-champion

After being eliminated from the Champions League, Lithuanian football champions "Kauno Žalgiris" are set to face a formidable opponent in the Europa League qualifiers: Istanbul's "Beşiktaş." The Turkish giants have significantly bolstered their squad, adding Serbian national team striker Dušan Vlahović to their roster.

Vlahović joins "Beşiktaş" as a free agent after four seasons with Italy's "Juventus." The Turkish club is also reportedly in talks with "Juventus" for Argentinian midfielder Nico González, a key player for his national team during the last World Cup. These high-profile signings signal "Beşiktaş's" ambition in European competitions.

"Beşiktaş" has also strengthened its team with other notable acquisitions, including Belgian winger Leandro Trossard from London's "Arsenal" and backup goalkeeper Alexander Nubel from Germany's "Bayern" Munich. The club also spent around 30 million euros to sign Turkish midfielder Orkun Kökçü from Portugal's "Benfica."

Managed by new Italian coach Vincenzo Italiano, "Beşiktaş" began their domestic league campaign with a 1-0 victory. The team previously eliminated "Midtjylland" from Denmark and "Hradec Kralove" from the Czech Republic in earlier Europa League qualifying rounds. "Kauno Žalgiris" suffered a significant 7-1 defeat against Croatian champions in the Champions League. The first match against "Beşiktaş" is scheduled for Thursday in Istanbul.