Gvidas Gineitis

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Gvidas Gineitis

| image = Lens - Torino FC (02-08-2023) 9 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Gineitis with Torino in 2023

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2004|4|15|df=y}}

| birth_place = Mažeikiai, Lithuania

| height = 1.91 mhttps://www.torinofc.it/prima-squadra/2023-2024/centrocampista/gineitis-gvidas

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub = Torino

| clubnumber = 66

| youthyears1 = 2016–2018

| youthclubs1 = NFA Kaunas

| years1 = 2018–2019

| clubs1 = NFA Kaunas

| caps1 = 10

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2019–2020

| clubs2 = Atmosfera

| caps2 = 28

| goals2 = 4

| years3 = 2020–2022

| clubs3 = SPAL

| caps3 = 0

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2022–

| clubs4 = Torino

| caps4 = 47

| goals4 = 3

| nationalyears1 = 2021–2022

| nationalteam1 = Lithuania U17

| nationalcaps1 = 3

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 2021–2022

| nationalteam2 = Lithuania U19

| nationalcaps2 = 8

| nationalgoals2 = 1

| nationalyears3 = 2022–2025

| nationalteam3 = Lithuania U21

| nationalcaps3 = 3

| nationalgoals3 = 0

| nationalyears4 = 2022–

| nationalteam4 = Lithuania

| nationalcaps4 = 20

| nationalgoals4 = 2

| pcupdate = 27 May 2025 (UTC)

| ntupdate = 25 March 2025 (UTC)

}}

Gvidas Gineitis (born 15 April 2004) is a Lithuanian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Torino and the Lithuania national team.

In January 2023, he received the Best Young Lithuanian Footballer of the Year award by the Lithuanian Football Federation.{{Cite web |date=31 January 2023 |title=Geriausiu Lietuvos metų futbolininku tapo Gertmonas, tarp trenerių triumfavo Čeburinas |url=https://www.lrt.lt/naujienos/sportas/10/1879165/geriausiu-lietuvos-metu-futbolininku-tapo-gertmonas-tarp-treneriu-triumfavo-ceburinas |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=lrt.lt |language=lt}}{{Cite web |date=1 February 2023 |title=Kaune apdovanoti 2022-ųjų Lietuvos futbolo geriausieji |url=https://www.eurofootball.lt/futbolo-naujienos/kaune-apdovanoti-2022-uju-lietuvos-futbolo-geriausieji/ |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=Eurofootball.lt |language=lt}}

Club career

Born in Mažeikiai,{{Cite web |last=Guaschini |first=Alessandro |date=31 December 2022 |title=Chi è Gvidas Gineitis, il 2004 che ha impressionato Juric |url=https://www.numero-diez.com/chi-e-gvidas-gineitis-il-2004-che-ha-impressionato-juric/ |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=Numero Diez |language=it-IT}}{{Cite web |last=Gualano |first=Leonardo |date=10 February 2023 |title=Chi è Gvidas Gineitis, il gioiello del Torino che fa il suo esordio in Serie A contro il Milan |url=https://www.goal.com/it/notizie/chi-e-gvidas-gineitis-gioiello-torino-esordio-serie-a/blt426e0852d4da48ac |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=Goal.com}}{{Cite web |last=Golia |first=Simone |date=10 February 2023 |title=Fisico, tecnica, visione e posizione: chi è Gineitis, il 18enne che ha stregato Juric |url=https://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Serie-A/Torino/10-02-2023/gineitis-ecco-chi-gioiello-torno-lanciato-juric-460174284857.shtml |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=La Gazzetta dello Sport |language=it-IT}} Gineitis is a youth product of NFA Kaunas, where he made his senior debut on 22 September 2018, coming on as a substitute in the second half of a 2–1 I Lyga defeat to Žalgiris B.{{Cite web |title=FK Žalgiris B - BE1 NFA |url=https://lietuvosfutbolas.lt/rungtynes/fk-zalgiris-b-be1-nfa-1964263/ |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=Lietuvos Futbolas |language=lt}}

In 2019, he then joined fellow second-tier side Atmosfera, where he scored his first senior goal on 24 April 2019, in a 9–8 LFF Cup loss on penalties against Kėdainiai (the match had ended in a 3–3 draw after 120 minutes).{{Cite web |title=Kėdainiai - FK Atmosfera |url=https://lietuvosfutbolas.lt/rungtynes/kedainiai-fk-atmosfera-3934825/ |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=Lietuvos Futbolas |language=lt}}

In the summer of 2020, Gineitis joined Serie B side SPAL,{{Cite web |last=Rossi |first=Marco |date=3 March 2022 |title=Torino, Gineitis è di un'altra categoria |url=https://torino.corriere.it/calcio-giovanile/nazionali/22_marzo_03/torino-gineitis-un-altra-categoria-502723f0-9ae6-11ec-9441-3731719c94e7.shtml |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=Corriere della Sera |language=it-IT}} where he played for the under-17, under-18 and under-19 teams of the Italian club.

On 31 January 2022, the deadline day for the winter transfer window, Gineitis joined Serie A side Torino on a permanent transfer,{{Cite web |date=1 February 2022 |title=Gineitis al Toro |url=https://torinofc.it/giovanili/news/01/02/2022/gineitis-al-toro_28310 |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=Torino FC 1906 |language=it-IT}} as part of a deal that also involved Demba Seck and Francesco Dell'Aquila. He subsequently signed a professional contract with the club on 8 June 2022, penning a three-year deal.{{Cite web |date=8 June 2022 |title=Perspektyvus lietuvis susiejo ateitį su "Serie A" klubu |url=https://www.lrt.lt/naujienos/sportas/10/1714953/perspektyvus-lietuvis-susiejo-ateiti-su-serie-a-klubu |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=lrt.lt |language=lt}}

Following his performances for Torino's under-19 squad, the midfielder was promoted to the first team during the winter break of the 2022–23 season, under head coach Ivan Jurić.{{Cite web |date=10 February 2023 |title=G.Gineitis šįvakar debiutuos Italijos "Serie A" lygoje |url=https://www.sportas.lt/naujiena/471779/g-gineitis-debiutuos-italijos-serie-a-lygoje |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=sportas.lt |language=lt}} He went on to make his Serie A debut on 10 February 2023, starting and playing 45 minutes in a 1–0 loss to AC Milan.{{Cite web |last=Gambino |first=Simone |date=10 February 2023 |title=Milan-Torino 1-0: Giroud risveglia il Diavolo, i rossoneri tornano a vincere dopo 7 partite |url=https://www.goal.com/it/liste/milan-torino-cronaca-tabellino-pagelle-voti/blt932c94f1d4a52275 |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=Goal.com}}{{Cite web |last=Zarra |first=Angelo |date=10 February 2023 |title=Torino, Juric lancia Gineitis: esordio in Serie A per il lituano |url=https://www.mondoprimavera.com/news/303732002310/torino-juric-lancia-gineitis-esordio-in-serie-a-per-il-lituano |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=MondoPrimavera |language=it-IT}} In the occasion, he became the fourth Lithuanian player to ever feature in the Italian top tier, following the likes of Tomas Danilevičius, Marius Stankevičius and Edgaras Dubickas.

In March 2023, Gineitis extended his contract with Torino until 2026.{{Cite web |date=2 March 2023 |title=Gineitis, rinnovo sino al 2026 |url=https://torinofc.it/news/24/02/2023/gineitis-rinnovo-sino-al-2026_30411 |access-date=9 June 2023 |website=Torino FC 1906 |language=it-IT}}

International career

Gineitis has represented Lithuania at various youth international levels, having played for the under-17, under-19 and under-21 national teams.

In November 2022, he received his first call-up to the Lithuanian senior national team for the 2022 Baltic Cup.{{Cite web |title=Lietuvos rinktinės treneris išrikiavo sudėtį Baltijos taurės turnyrui |url=https://www.15min.lt/sportas/naujiena/futbolas/lietuvos-rinktines-treneris-isrikiavo-sudeti-baltijos-taures-turnyrui-24-1955746 |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=15min.lt |language=lt}}{{Cite web |last=Ferrero |first=Carlo Federico |date=10 November 2022 |title=Internazionale Toro: dalla Lituania all'Austria, dalla Romania a un vero 'figlio del Filadelfia' |url=https://www.sprintesport.it/under-17-a-e-b/2022/11/10/news/internazionale-toro-dalla-lituania-all-austria-dalla-romania-a-un-vero-figlio-del-filadelfia-523205/ |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=www.sprintesport.it |language=it-IT}} He then made his senior debut for Lithuania on 16 November 2022, coming in as a substitute in the tournament's semi-final match against Iceland, which ended up in a 5–6 loss on penalties.{{Cite web |date=22 November 2022 |title=Gvidas Gineitis debiutavo šalies rinktinėje |url=https://www.santarve.lt/gvidas-gineitis-debiutavo-salies-rinktineje/ |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=santarve.lt |language=lt}} Three days later, he made his first start in the third place final against Estonia, which ended in a 2–0 loss.

On 15 November 2024, during a 2024–25 UEFA Nations League C game against Cyprus, he scored his first goal for Lithuania, becoming at 20 years and 7 months its youngest goalscorer in UEFA Nations League. {{cite web |title=Cyprus-Lithuania |url= https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2040154--cyprus-vs-lithuania/ |website=UEFA |access-date=15 November 2024}}

Style of play

Gineitis is a left-footed midfielder, who mainly acts as a mezzala on attacking duties, but can also play in every position of the midfield, or even in the number 10 role. He has been mainly regarded for his physique, his athleticism and his off-the-ball movement.

Due to his characteristics, he has been compared to Tommaso Pobega.