NEW LOOK FOR THIRD TIER IN BELARUS

The confirmed line up for the Belarusian First League is yet to be fully announced with rumours that Khimik Svetlogorsk and Granit Mikashevichi not being able to compete at that level for the 2021 season and also Smolevichi, who were relegated from the Premier League, announcing they will play in the Second League with a focus on phased development and local young players. I'll bring you news when I have it. 

There has been a big shake up in the Third Tier of football in Belarus which last season saw two divisions of eleven clubs in the first phase followed by a promotion group with the top three teams from both divisions competing. 

This season will see the league merge with the regional championship, which was step four on the Belarusian pyramid, to form the following divisions -

1) Brest Region - 14 teams

2) Vitebsk Region - 14 teams 

3) Gomel Region - 8 to 10 teams 

4) Grodno Region - 13 teams 

5) Minsk Region - 22 teams (most probably two divisions)

6) Mogilev Region - 11 teams 

7) Minsk City Region - 10 to 16 teams

Stage one will be held from mid April to late September with Stage Two being held from October onwards with 8 teams planned to participate with two teams from the Minsk region and one from each other zone moving forward into a play-off system with quarter finals, semi-finals, final and 3rd/4th placed play off. 

A new rule will be introduced of fielding at league five players considered local to the team they represent. 

This move hasn't gone down well with some clubs with 10 of the 19 who remained in the Second League from last season drafting and signing a letter of compliant to the ABFF (Belarusian Football Federation). The main points are that 'the level of teams participating will fall sharply' which will lead to 'a large number of match will end in major victories/defeats of one team' and also a number of clubs having plans to have two teams playing with their first team in the third tier and another team consisting of younger local players in the regional championships - with the merger of the divisions this option is now not possible. 

I am, of course, not an expert when it comes to complexities of the lower levels of football in Belarus but with so many clubs suffering from financial problems surely it makes sense to play more locally. Last season for example Polotsk had to play Bumprom Gomel which is over a 6 hr journey each way and a near 1000 mile round trip! 

The added bonus is the huge number of interesting teams for the many football fans around the world to get to know over the 2021 season.