Nerijus Barasa

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox football biography Nerijus Barasa (born 1 June 1978) is a Lithuanian former professional footballer. He played as a right-back or defensive midfielder.

Career

Barasa started his career with FBK Kaunas in 1994 before joining Atlantas Klaipėda the following season. After a year in Latvia with Baltika Liepāja, he returned to Lithuania with his family, then FBK Kaunas came in for him.

Kaunas beckoned for Barasa in 2001, where he spent the following five seasons; four in the Russian Premier League with FC Krylia Sovetov Samara and FC Alania Vladikavkaz and one in the Russian First Division with FC Lada Togliatti. During this period he was called up to the Lithuanian national team, earning his first cap in 2001.

At the end of the 2005 season, Barasa moved to Scotland, signing for FBK Kaunas, then being immediately loaned to Heart of Midlothian. He joined the Tynecastle side on 13 January 2006 and spent a total of 16 months with the Edinburgh club before moving back to Kaunas.

In October 2006, Barasa was at the centre of controversy when he and compatriot Saulius Mikoliūnas were booed by Hearts fans for perceived poor form in a game against Rangers. This prompted Hearts' Sporting Director Alex Kozlovski to suggest that the supporters had ulterior motives for booing them, expressly their nationality. This claim was contested by fans representative groups and Kozlovski later apologised and retracted it.

Barasa missed half of the 2006–07 season due to injury and left Hearts in the summer of 2007, before also rescinding his contract with Kaunas. After that he retired in order to pursue business interests in Samara, Russia, where he lives with his wife. His last game was against Celtic in the Scottish Premier League on 14 January 2007.

International goals

Scores and results list Lithuania's goal tally first.

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	5 July 2001	Skonto Stadions, Riga, Latvia	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Latvia	flag alias = Flag of Latvia.svg	flag alias-pantone = Flag of Latvia (Textile).svg	flag alias-air force = Flag of the Latvian Air Forces.svg	link alias-air force = Latvian Air Force	flag alias-naval = Naval Ensign of Latvia.svg	link alias-naval = Latvian Naval Forces	link alias-army = Latvian Land Forces	flag alias-navy = Naval Ensign of Latvia.svg	link alias-navy = Latvian Naval Forces	size =	name =	altlink = national football team	variant = }} || 1–0 || 1–4 || Baltic Cup
2	18 August 2004	Dynamo Stadium, Moscow, Russia	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Russia	flag alias = Flag of Russia.svg	flag alias-1668 = Flag of Russia (1668).svg	flag alias-1696 = Flag of Russia.svg	flag alias-1858 = Romanov Flag.svg	flag alias-1918a=Flag of Russia (1918).svg	flag alias-1918 = Flag of Russia (1918–1920).svg	flag alias-1925 = Flag of the Russian SFSR (1920-1937).svg	flag alias-1937 = Flag of the Russian SFSR (1937-1954).svg	flag alias-1954 = Flag of the Russian SFSR.svg	flag alias-1991 = Flag of Russia (1991–1993).svg	flag alias-military = Banner of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (obverse).svg	link alias-military = Russian Armed Forces	flag alias-army = Flag of the Russian ground forces.svg	link alias-army = Russian Ground Forces	flag alias-naval = Naval Jack of Russia.svg	link alias-naval = Russian Navy	flag alias-VV MVD naval-1992 = Russia, Naval flag of ships and vessels of the Interior Force 1992.svg	flag alias-VV MVD naval = Russia, Naval flag of ships and vessels of the Interior Force 2000.svg	flag alias-NGF naval-2016 = Russia, Naval flag of ships and vessels of the Interior Force 2000.svg	flag alias-NGF naval = Russia, Flag of ships and vessels of the National Guard.svg	flag alias-navy = Naval Ensign of Russia.svg	link alias-navy = Russian Navy	flag alias-navy-1992 = Naval ensign of Russia (1992).svg	flag alias-air force = Flag of the Air Force of the Russian Federation.svg	link alias-air force = Russian Air Force	flag alias-marines = Флаг Морской пехоты ВМФ России (2021).jpg	link alias-marines = Russian Naval Infantry	flag alias-space force = Russian military space troops flag.svg	link alias-space force = Russian Space Forces	flag alias-coast guard = Russia, Flag of border service 2008.svg	link alias-coast guard = Russian Coast Guard	flag alias-coast guard-1993 = Russia. Flag of ships of Border Guard Force 1993.svg	link alias-coast guard-1993 = Russian Coast Guard	flag alias-roc-olympics = Russian Olympic Committee flag.png	flag alias-nbfr-badminton = Nbfr logo.png	flag alias-rwf-wrestling = RWF logo.svg	flag alias-tennis = Rtf tennis flag vector.svg	flag alias-aerospace forces = Flag of the Russian Aerospace Forces.svg	size =	name =	altlink = national football team	variant = }} || 3–4|| 3–4 || Friendly

Honours

Lithuania

• Baltic Cup: 2005

External links

• Template:First word Template:PAGENAMEBASE at SoccerbaseTemplate:EditAtWikidataTemplate:WikidataCheck
• Hearts appearances at londonhearts.com