Belarus: Football to continue despite Coronavirus

Fans flocked to support their local teams over the weekend despite the deadly virus sweeping the globe.

Belarus.- Football will continue to be played in Belarus despite the Coronavirus pandemic that has swept the globe.

The second match day of the Belarusian Premier League was played over the weekend, with fans flocking to support their teams.

While almost all world football is currently suspended or cancelled, Saturday’s action included the derby between FC Minsk and Dinamo Minsk.

The game was watched by a capacity 3,000 crowd in the country’s capital, while many worldwide viewers scrambled to find a stream to watch the game online.

With most countries now in lockdown, the Belarus Football Federation’s defiance has secured the league ten broadcasting deals with sports networks in other nations, including Russia, Israel and India.

According to The Guardian, the league’s growing viewing figures have lead to a “spike” in Dinamo Minsk’s popularity on social media, “especially among English speakers”.

Meanwhile, Belarus President, Alexander Lukashenko, has encouraged sport to continue in the country, while also suggesting that Belarusian citizens should “drink vodka” and “go to saunas” to combat Coronavirus.

The country currently has 94 confirmed cases of Covid-19 with zero deaths reported.