Results
| Date | R | Home vs Away | - |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/07 11:30 | 30 |
Dinamo Brest vs Dinamo Minsk
|
1-1 |
| 12/02 11:00 | 16 |
FC Smorgon vs Dinamo Minsk
|
1-0 |
| 12/01 13:00 | 30 |
Isloch vs FC Vitebsk
|
1-0 |
| 12/01 11:00 | 30 |
Neman Grodno vs FC Minsk
|
4-0 |
| 12/01 11:00 | 30 |
Shakhter Soligorsk vs Dnepr Mogilev
|
1-2 |
| 12/01 11:00 | 30 |
Slavia Mozyr vs Torpedo Zhodino
|
0-2 |
| 11/30 11:10 | 30 |
FK Arsenal Dzyarzhynsk vs FK Gomel
|
1-0 |
| 11/30 11:10 | 30 |
FC Slutsk vs Naftan Novopolotsk
|
0-1 |
| 11/28 15:15 | 30 |
BATE Borisov vs FC Smorgon
|
7-4 |
| 11/26 16:00 | 29 |
Torpedo Zhodino vs Shakhter Soligorsk
|
1-0 |
| 11/25 17:00 | 29 |
Dinamo Minsk vs BATE Borisov
|
1-0 |
| 11/24 15:30 | 29 |
FK Gomel vs Slavia Mozyr
|
0-0 |
Teams
Torpedo Zhodino
Shakhter Soligorsk
FC Minsk
Dinamo Minsk
Dinamo Brest
BATE Borisov
Neman Grodno
FC Slutsk
Isloch
FK Gomel
FC Vitebsk
Slavia Mozyr
Belshina Bobruisk
Naftan Novopolotsk
Dnepr Mogilev
FK Gorodeya
Energetik-BGU Minsk
FC Smorgon
FK Krumkachy Minsk
FK Arsenal Dzyarzhynsk
Smolevichi
FC Rukh Brest
FC Granit Mikashevichi
Torpedo Minsk
FK Luch Minsk
FK Dnyapro
FK Sputnik
Wikipedia - Belarusian Premier League
The Belarusian Premier League, also called The Belarusbank Premier League for sponsorship reasons, or the Vyšejšaja Liha or the Vysheyshaya Liga,(Belarusian: Вышэйшая ліга, Russian: Высшая лига, "Top League") is the top division of professional football in Belarus, and is organized by the Belarusian Football Federation. The number of teams in the competition has varied over the years from as high as 17 (1992–93 season) to as low as 11 (2012). As of 2016, the league included 16 teams. Each team plays every other team twice during the course of the season. At the end of the season, the two teams with the fewest points are automatically relegated to the Belarusian First League, while the third worst team plays a promotion-relegation playoff against the third best team from the second tier. The top two teams from the Belarusian First League automatically win promotion to the Premier League. Shakhtyor Soligorsk are the current champions, after winning their second championship title in 2021.
History
The Belarusian Premier League was organized in 1992. The first participants were: Dinamo Minsk, the only Belarusian side in the former Soviet Top League, five teams from the lower tiers of the Soviet league system and represented other five regional centers of Belarus, and ten teams who were previous competitors in the Belarusian SSR First League.
After the league creation, it was decided to change its schedule from a Soviet-style summer season to a European-style winter season. In 1995, the winter season experiment was proven unsuccessful due to poor weather and field conditions in Belarus in the late autumn and early spring. The season was changed back to summer. Every season since 1996 has been played in the summer. Throughout the 2000s, the number of competing teams has changed several times. 2012 season was played with only 11 teams due to last minute withdrawal of Partizan Minsk.
In its earliest years, the league was dominated by Dinamo Minsk, who won the league five times in a row between 1992 and 1995. During the next ten seasons, seven different teams finished as champions: Slavia Mozyr (1996 as MPKC Mozyr, 2000), Dinamo Minsk (1997, 2004), Dnepr-Transmash Mogilev (1998), BATE Borisov (1999, 2002), Belshina Bobruisk (2001), Gomel (2003), Shakhtyor Soligorsk (2005). Since 2006, BATE Borisov has dominated the league, winning 13 championships in a row (2006–2018).
In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all the other football leagues in Europe were postponed, and by the end of the month, the Belarusian Premier League was the only top-flight league in the continent that was still playing. Due to this, the league gained substantially increased viewership from abroad, with fans from all over the world watching the games online, due to the league being the only significant professional football available; the league signed new television rights deals with networks from countries including Russia and India. Matches were also streamed on the Belarusian Football Federation's YouTube channel. British betting companies also offered odds for the various matches,[] as the league's profile, previously relatively unknown outside of the country, grew a larger audience due to sporting inactivity elsewhere.
The league typically runs from March to November, with teams playing each other in a round-robin format, resulting in a total of 30 matches per team. The club with the most points at the end of the season is crowned the champion and earns a spot in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds, while the teams finishing at the bottom face relegation to the lower division.
The Belarus Premier League is known for its passionate fan base, with clubs like BATE Borisov, Dynamo Brest, and Shakhtyor Soligorsk leading the charge in terms of historical success and support. The league has gained international attention, particularly during times when other leagues were suspended, showcasing the resilience and dedication of Belarusian football.
In addition to the thrilling matches, the league also emphasizes youth development and the promotion of local talent, making it a vital component of the country's sports culture. With its unique blend of tradition, competition, and community spirit, the Belarus Premier League continues to be a significant platform for football in Eastern Europe.