Suspicions of the virus and the postponed match: how is the situation with COVID-19 developing in the Belarusian football championship

The football championship of Belarus in the spring turned into a real outlet for fans. While in other countries all sporting events were suspended, the Major League continued, despite the coronavirus pandemic.

However, now the local championship is also faced with problems. According to media reports, over the past week, football players from four of the 16 teams of the tournament - “Torpedo-Belaz”, “Isloch”, “Energetika-BSU” and “Minsk” - have passed positive tests for COVID-19.

“Colds” in “Isloch” and the fear of testing in “Energetics-BSU”

In Torpedo-Belaz, the diagnosis was confirmed by goalkeeper Vladimir Bushma and midfielder Mikhail Afanasyev, according to media reports - both had signs of SARS. At the same time, on May 15, “car makers” will have a home match with “Gorodeya”, and transfer has not yet been reported.

According to the press, similar symptoms appeared in the Nigerian Isloch defender Godfrey Stephen, and then he was diagnosed with coronavirus. After that, the whole team passed the test, and another case was revealed - the team’s doctor Dmitry Tishkov became infected, journalists say. Also, according to them, striker Alexander Makas has been on sick leave with pneumonia for two weeks now.

In addition, two versions appeared in the media: according to one, the team’s training from the Minsk region was canceled on Thursday, and according to the other, the team went to quarantine for ten days. However, Stephen himself denied this information.

“The whole team took tests, but I have not yet been informed of the results personally. While we are training in normal mode, we are preparing for the match with Minsk Dynamo. I am also doing well, I feel fine, ”Steven quotes“ Pressball ”.

In “Energetics-BSU”, two football players felt unwell, the media noted. According to Metaratings.by, they allegedly do not specifically take tests from them, so that in case of a positive result, "the team was not removed from the championship."

Energetika-BSU itself denied this information, while Torpedo-Belaz and Isloch refused to give comments to the press. Nevertheless, a couple of days ago, the mentor of the “wolves” Vitaly Zhukovsky said that the team “has some colds”.

They also prefer to remain silent in the Belarusian Football Federation (ABFF). ABFF Secretary General Sergey Zhardetsky did not agree to discuss the topic of coronavirus with journalists.

Transfer of matches and forced quarantine 

At the same time, one game from the program of the ninth round of the Major League still will not take place. “Minsk” and “Neman” were supposed to meet in the capital on Friday, but the meeting was postponed due to suspected coronavirus from one of the hosts' players, the ABFF said.

The fact that a Minsk player may be infected with COVID-19 became known on May 10. The name of the athlete was not called, however, it was emphasized that he did not fall into the application for the last meeting with Gorodeya, which had taken place a few days before.

“Unfortunately, one of the players had suspicions of a coronavirus. His condition is normal, but there are symptoms. Therefore, a test is done, we are waiting for the result. While all the training sessions of the team have been canceled, tomorrow there will be a survey of all those related to the main team, ”explained the club’s director general, Igor Shloido.

At the same time, the Belarusian press claimed that the Ukrainian defender Yevgeny Chagovets turned out to be this footballer, and the team was forced to quarantine due to the situation. The very next day, the media reported that the test gave a positive result, but Shloydo did not confirm it. There were no further comments from the club on this subject. 

In addition to the match Minsk - Neman. Along the way, the meeting of the second most powerful league in the country between Arsenal and the GOBZD was postponed. This turned out to be due to the fact that the presence of coronavirus was suspected in one of the footballers “gunners”. However, according to journalists, his test ultimately yielded a negative result. It is hard to say how this story will end, but it is possible that in case of confirmation of the cases of COVID-19 in several teams of the Major League at once, the tournament will still have to be stopped.

In the meantime, ABFF takes local measures to prevent the spread of the virus. In particular, players and referees are forbidden to shake hands, and fans are ordered to sit in the stands in a staggered manner. Also, points with an antiseptic are working near the stadiums, and they distribute masks to all football fans and measure the temperature.

Despite all the efforts of the organizers, when looking at the stands of the Belarusian arenas, it becomes obvious that many do not follow the federation’s instructions and ignore requests to maintain social distance and wear masks. In addition, just two matches of the last round of the national championship were visited by more than two thousand spectators. The derby between the Brest and Minsk Dynamo gathered 2354 people, and the standoff between Smolevichi and BATE - 2915.

Skepsis Goncharenko and the fighting spirit of the coach of Vitebsk  

However, there is no unity in the country regarding the continuation of the tournament. Some believe that primacy should continue, others that it is not worth risking the health of people in this situation. Among them was the head coach of CSKA Belarus Viktor Goncharenko.

“I think this is not entirely correct. Excessively strict quarantine measures are not needed here, but football now is not quite right. Given that the people in Belarus are self-disciplined, so we see 300 people there in the stands. The same number of people in Germany will come to the games. There is some kind of quarantine, ”explained the coach in an interview with journalist Vadim Lukomsky on Youtube.

Another local eminent specialist, Anatoly Baydachny, agreed with him. In his opinion, the championship should be paused if cases of coronavirus in players of the teams of the Major League are detected.

“If they confirm, then people should be checked next to them, maybe they will also confirm. So we infect all the players. I would not have spent the championship at all. A championship without spectators - and in fact it takes place without spectators in our country - this is not a championship. People’s life is always more expensive than competitions, concerts, ”Tribuna.by quotes a specialist.

But the mentor of Vitebsk Sergey Yasinsky believes that the tournament should continue, despite the recommendations of the WHO.

“While we have no patients, I think we need to play. WHO is doing its job, and we are doing our job. Where is WHO? They are somewhere there, and we live here in our country. Perhaps we should have our own head on our shoulders. We have to decide for ourselves what to do. But I do not rule out the possibility of listening to the recommendations of the WHO, ”said the trainer.