While the world all stood still and closed all but essential businesses, a little-known nation in Eastern Europe played on. Here’s what I found out about this phenomenon.
Why did the league never stop?
A few reasons; mainly because the countries President Alexander Lukashenko still maintains
to this day that Coronavirus is a Western psychosis (despite being contacted personally by the WHO) and therefore not a big deal, actually claiming the panic caused by the world’s media is a far bigger concern. This is the line that the ABFF (Belarus’ football governing body) has towed saying “why would we stop, there’s no state of emergency?” and thus meant there was no reason not to start the Vysheyshaya Liga on March 19th. Every single match across the country has been open to the public with only temperature checks being performed upon entry at certain stadiums and additional areas to for spectators to wash their hands, the limit of measures to combat the virus.
Has there been any effect on football club and playing staff?
Well yes, top-flight club FC Minsk had a positive test in the playing staff and missed two games in May. Second division side Arsenal Dzerzhinsk also had a positive test the week before and sat out the following fortnights fixtures. Neither sides form has been overly affected. And the players seem totally fine with the idea of playing on saying that every other job is still going on so “everything is fine” as well as stating that “we are paid to play” so therefore not their decision to stop, although a few players did make a point of saying how “strange” it was to be the only league playing in the world for a time.
Has attendance been effect?
The short answer is yes, and not for the better. For the opening weekend attendances across the country averaged at just over half of what they the season prior, and attendances have only dwindled since then. Reigning champions Dinamo Brest’s attendances have averaged at a 4th of what they were last season with around 2,200 spectators a match day, while the league’s most successful side BATE Borisov seeing around 1,000 a week in a 13,000 capacity Borisov-Arena that I was used to seeing rammed on a Champions League night, but is still one of the only grounds where you can pick up something of an atmosphere.
The league attendance average is 757 (according to Transfermarkt.com), which given the average capacity is nearer 7,000 is not great. Defending champions Dinamo Brest have had such poor attendances that they, like other leagues around the world who are playing behind closed doors, have placed mannequins in the stands with cut-outs of fans as fan groups have called for a boycott going to football due to the pandemic. Most shockingly of all just 5,000 fans attended the Belarusian Cup Final in the 22,000 Dinamo Olympic Stadium. It is however fair to say that hockey is in fact the national sport of Belarus, but some hockey clubs have seen record high attendances this campaign.
Another factor could be that the republics greatest ever player, Alexandr Hleb, has questioned the lack of severity taken over the global pandemic by the governing bodies, which could also have played a part in the football supporting communities in Belarus choosing to stay at home in-spite of the league carrying on as normal. Either way the lack of attendance has certainly helped with social distancing within the grounds as well as many supporters wearing masks and other PPE of their own accord.
Increased viewing figures?
The Vysheyshaya Liga across March and April sold TV rights to no less than 10 nations including India and Russia taking advantage of the fact the footballing world had literally no other football to watch. The Vysheyshaya Liga soon after also started streaming on the Belarusian Premier League YouTube and the streams getting up to 42,000 views for their most popular league games (mostly for popular games involving BATE and Dinamo Minsk).
What is going on on the pitch?
Well there’s something of a title race going on here. Giants BATE are looking to get their title back after losing their first title in 15 years and are currently leading the way despite their first losing their first two games haven’t lost since with Willium Willumsson and Stanislau Dragun comfortably the best midfield pairing in the league (when picked together), Shakhtyor are currently second even though they didn’t win a game until match day 6 but have been in a fantastic run of form of recent with forward Vitaly Lisakovich in particular on a hot scoring run, similar story for reigning champions Dinamo Brest who have sorted out their indifferent early season form to get themselves into the title race.
The final side worth highlighting is that since I’ve adopted Torpedo Zhodino, Yuri Puntus’ side have played comfortably the most aesthetically pleasing football in the league (watch their 3-1 win over Gorodeya if you need proof) with Brazilian play makers Gabriel Ramos and Lipe Velso giving the side some necessary flair to help play this way. The other teams of note are Smolevichy and Belshina who had to wait until match day 11 and 13 respectively to get their first wins and are already cut adrift sitting on single figure points totals going into match day 14. The league’s top scorers are Neman Grodno wide man Gegam Kadimyan and attacking midfielder Jasur Yaxshiboyev of Energetik-BGU (my player of the season so far), both of which currently have 7 league goals and are dragging their otherwise mediocre sides into European contention.
So overall while the standard of football isn’t the best the in Europe and goals can be hard to come by, the Belarusian Premier League helped me get through lockdown as it did for thousands of others before the Bundesliga and other higher profile leagues returned. Even though its low scoring at times, Belarus has gained an audience it is yet to lose, until they put the matches behind a paywall at least.
By Thomas Bowdery