World Soccer - UK (2021-10)

ikemanyEastern
Europeancountries,
leadingclubsin
Belarussurvive in
partor completely
onsomesortof state
subsidy– apartfromone.Krumkachy
FCwas foundeda decadeago by a
groupoffans,andnamedafterthe
ravensthatdominatetheskiesof
theirhomecity,Minsk.
Krumkachywereoutsidersfromthe
outsetandtheirindependencemade
theclubpopularwithyoungBelarusians
whodidnotunderstandwhytheycould
orderpizzaontheirsmartphonebutnot
voteouttheirautocraticpresident,
AlexanderLukashenko.
Football in Belarusbrieflyachieved
globalrecognitionlastyearasthe
COVID-19pandemic
shutdownmany
leaguesapart from
theirPremierLeague.
Belarusthenstayed
inthe headlines
duetoprotests
overcontested
electionstoremove
Lukashenko,who
claimed vodka and
saunascouldcure
theglobalpandemic.
WithallBelarus’

clubs eliminatedfromUEFAcompetition

bythe endofJuly, footballinthe country

hasdiminished. Krumkachy’s placeas a

hotbedfor protesthasflourishedand

theclubiscomingunder increasing

attackfromthe authorities.

Krumkachyhadwon promotionto

thePremierLeague in 2 015 butwere

relegatedafter threeseasonsanddenied

a licence to returnin 2 01 8.Thatinitself

isnotunheard of.Every year, a handful

ofclubsinthetoptwo leaguesstruggle

toqualifyfor a licenceduetoproblems

Anti-establishment

club under attack

Second-tierBelarusiansideKrumkachyare

fightingforbothpromotionanddemocracy

WORLDSERVICE

rangingfromstadia,financesorlackof

a youth academy.But Krumkachy fear

theirroleinthe protests is thereal

reasonfor theincreasingassault.

OnAugust 30 last year, two

Krumkachyplayers,PavelRassolko

andSergeiKozeka,werereturning

fromtrainingwhentheywerecaught

upina protestmarchanddetained by

Belarusiansecurityforces,whohave

lockedupmore than 600 people.

Kozeka wasseverelybeatenand

sufferedafracture of thethirdvertebra

anddamaged kidneys.Thepairwere

releasedbuttherewereprotestsbefore

Krumkachy’s nextmatch,a cupgame

withDinamoMinsk.Krumkachy’s players

refusedto leavethe dressingroomunless

theywereallowedto wearT-shirts

supportingtheirinjuredteam-mates.

ProtestleaderMariaKolesnikova

wasalsoat thegame, whichKrumkachy

surprisinglywon 2-0againstBelarus’

establishmentsideDinamoMinsk.Six

dayslater, Kolesnikovawasabducted

andalsojailed.

Krumkachy’s profilegrewfurther

whenAleksandr“Sasha” Ivulin,a

popularblogger, joinedtheclubto

makeaseriesofvideosonhow to

becomea professionalplayer,and

giventhesquadnumber 25. Ivulinwas

anamateurstriker andthepartnership

proved popular, only fortheblogger

toalsobedetainedbythepolice,

promptingmore protests from fans.

Onthe pitch,Krumkachy areinthe

runningto return to thetop flightunder

experiencedcoachOlegKubarev, but

thatcouldbescupperedifa rumoured

planfor clubstoshow a significantsum

intheirbank accountbeforebeing

allowedaccesstothePremierLeague

• rumouredtobe$1m – is ratified.
  Theplansare to preventclubsfolding
  mid-seasonduetofinancialproblems.
  Sputnikfolded duringthe 202 1 Premier
  LeagueseasonandTorpedoMinsk,who
  wereironicallypromotedaheadof
  Krumkachyin 2 01 8,foldedtheir
  seniorsidea yearlater.
  Krumkachyonlyhaveabudgetof
  $400,000, paidinstagesbyprivate
  sponsors,andhavenochanceofbeing
  abletocomply with a rulethatmayhave
  a goodaimon thesurfacebutwould
  suitthe authoritiesinkeepingBelarus’
  footballoutsidersoutofthe elite.

Krumkachy...the

Minsk-basedside

areflyinghighin

thesecondtier

L

Krumkachy’splaceasahotbedfor

protesthasflourishedandtheclub

iscomingunderincreasingattack

fromtheauthorities

Belarus

STEVEMENARY

Number 25 ...

Krumkachy fans

showtheirsupport

forthedetained

AleksandrIvulin

Protesting...police

disperseprotesters

onthestreetsof

Minsklastyear