Belarus Takes Center Stage As The Last League Standing Amid Coronavirus Shutdown

“Birmingham City will be in Europe next year,” said celebrated British comic Jasper Carrott in one of his most famous stand-up routines. “If there’s a war”. 

Carrott’s joke played off the historical failures of his beloved hometown team, of course, but given the unprecedented times we live in, an element of it came true this weekend, as content-starved football fans and problem gamblers alike became experts in Belarusian football. That it was an international pandemic that directed attention to the oft-ignored Eastern European outpost rather than a war is something of a moot point.

With leagues shut down the world over—Australia’s A-League gave up the ghost last weekend—the only game left in town was in Minsk. It took place in the 3,000 capacity FC Minsk Stadium in the Belarusian capital, where the city’s two footballing superpowers played out an entertaining 3-2. For the record, the hosts raced into a three goal lead before the break, withstanding a Dinamo comeback and surviving a late penalty call to take the points. It was a great day to be sat behind the left hand goal, where all the action took place, though as the stadium only has two stands, that would have required becoming a Belarusian press photographer. 

The coronavirus outbreak has forced sports fans to be more resourceful, and amazingly, plenty tuned in to watch the Minsk derby. Previously, the Belarusian Premier League had only two TV deals: one in Belarus, obviously, and another just over the border in Ukraine. Since the enforced shutdown across Europe, they have received requests from across the globe for content, with ten countries now attempting to broadcast Belarus’ top tier to their audiences. 

It’s hard to judge the previous highlight of Belarusian football. Their national team have never qualified for a major tournament since independence, while their clubs have barely made an impression in European competition: Dinamo Minsk’s Soviet Top League victory of 1982, or BATE Borisov’s victories over Bayern Munich and Roma in the Champions’ League might be the greatest ripples that the secretive republic’s footballers have made on the world. Aleksander Hleb, the best player the country has produced since independence, is probably the only Belarusian that anyone in the world can name outside of their strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko. After those two, you’d have to go back to Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut, with an honorable mention for tennis player Victoria Azarenka. 

The coronavirus has seemingly passed over Belarus, with just 100 or so cases confirmed among a population of nearly 10 million. Though fans were spotted in the crowd wearing face masks at the Minsk derby, the country is yet to enforce any serious social distancing measures, with Lukashenko himself giving medical advice and encouraging people to go about their lives as normal. “There are no viruses here,” said the President over the weekend, where he was filmed playing ice hockey. 

Last week he told state media that “the civilized world is going nuts. It is absolute stupidity to close state borders. No one is talking about the virus. In the villages, the tractor will heal everyone. The fields heal everyone.” He also recommended drinking two shots of vodka a day and going to the sauna more often. 

Aleksander Hleb, however, struck a different tone. Posting on Instagram, the ex-Arsenal, Barcelona and, to keep the Jasper Carrott reference relevant, Birmingham City midfielder wrote: “I understand that these are difficult times and all news about the coronavirus causes both unrest and great interest. I’m now in self-isolation and in our country it’s allowed to do so for those who really see the need for it, but in an interview I said that since the Presidential Administration does not see the real need to quarantine the country, the situation is under control.

“I am against any kind of panic. Regarding attending football matches — here, everyone decides for himself. Our players do not panic out onto the field and play. Among them are many of my friends and, if there is a real threat to their health, the health of the crowd, I’m sure the matches will stop.” 

Until they do, the world is watching.