How Lukashenko's Ex-guard Became Belarusian Soccer's Enemy No. 1

Sports Minister proposes to deprive Belarus of soccer independence.

Sports Minister Sergei Kovalchuk said that Belarus is interested in holding a joint soccer championship with Russia. The UDF website tells how Lukashenko's former security guard has once again called his competence into question.

On the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), the Belarusian Sports Minister told "Match TV" that our country is allegedly interested in holding a joint soccer championship with Russia, but the issue should be discussed with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).

"We talked to (Russian Sports Minister) Mikhail Vladimirovich Degtyarev on this issue, I know that there are such talks at the level of soccer federations as well. But we came to the conclusion that we need a third party, we, Belarus and Russia, should discuss it together with UEFA. We are interested in this, there is an example of the KHL, where Dynamo Minsk plays, where there is excitement, the stands are filled every match. We play with strong opponents, we grow alongside you, because Russia is a great hockey power, the leader of world hockey," said Sergei Kovalchuk.

Why do the words of Lukashenko's former security guard, appointed by him as minister in 2018, put the competence of the minister under a big question?

Participation in the Russian championship will deprive Belarusian clubs of the opportunity to play in European cups.

After the Russian Federation attacked Ukraine, Russian clubs and the national team became pariahs on the international arena - they are suspended from participation in international matches. Kovalchuk actually proposes to do the same with Belarusian clubs.

UEFA allows only national championships, controlling the supranational level in the form of European cups. In short, if Belarusian clubs take part in the Russian championship, they will not be able to play with European teams.

And this is a blow to prestige (sometimes, modest clubs from Belarus are lucky to play with famous teams), and to financial income - playing in the European Cup, our teams have the opportunity to earn good money.

And it's also the strongest blow to honor: to play in the championship of Russia is actually to recognize that Belarus is a part of it.

Belarusian clubs will suffer a sad fate in the championship of Russia

Kovalchuk cited the example of participation of Minsk "Dynamo" in the Russian Continental Hockey League. But this example is extremely incorrect for many reasons. Among other things, because European hockey is governed by completely different rules.

And one should take into account that hockey "Dynamo-Minsk" pulls huge money from Belarusian enterprises. Its budget is about 6.5 million dollars for one season, and its main sponsor is Belaruskali.

The country simply can't afford to finance other teams at this level (to be honest, it can't even finance hockey - but the authorities insist).

So what will happen to Belarusian soccer clubs if they apply for the Russian championship? Hardly any of them will be able to play in the Premier League (first division). The budgets of the poorest Russian teams there are about $10 million, the middle-ranked teams - $30-40 million, the leaders - around $100.

So, the Belarusian teams will have to play in the lower Russian divisions, traveling across the Russian hinterland and overcoming thousands of kilometers of travel. And they will have to pay for it out of their own pockets.

And this is instead of playing with European clubs and earning money from the European Cup?

What's in Sergei Kovalchuk's head?

The words of the Belarusian Sports Minister have stumped not only Belarusian, but also Russian fans. "It seems that the Belarusian sports minister is not very clever either," they wrote in the comments.

It is also unclear why Russian clubs would want a team from Belarus to participate in their championship.

The former head coach of the Russian national team Boris Ignatiev told Match TV that he does not see any advantages of uniting the championship with the Belarusian one:

"If Belarusian clubs artificially enter our league, it will be nonsense. How will it look like? Let them win a place in the sun through the Second League, the First League. We must respect the principle of sportsmanship. I don't see any advantage for our soccer from joining the Belarusian championship.

Lukashenko's former security guard hasn't shone before in the post of the Minister of Sports, dealing mainly with repression against dissenting athletes. But his latest statement is already a new level.

Maybe Kovalchuk no longer feels the brakes after winning the hardware war against the former head of the Football Federation Nikolai Sherstnev, who was transferred by Lukashenko to work in the Presidential Administration.

The Minister of Sport is now consolidated in the status of the enemy of the Belarusian soccer No. 1.

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