TALKING TO ILYA MIRONOV ABOUT BEING A FAN OF FOOTBALL IN BELARUS

Energetik-BGU fan Ilya Mironov recently made a name for himself as the only supporter of The Students to attend their recent friendly game against Isloch. Here we talk to him about his love for Energetik and what it's like to be a football supporter in Belarus.  Thankyou for taking time to talk to me Illya - I wish you a very Happy New Year and a very successful 2021. You can follow him on Instagram at @ilyamironov8

HOW LONG HAVE YOU SUPPORTED ENERGETIK-BGU FOR AND WHY DID YOU CHOSE THE TEAM? 

I have been supporting Energetik for about one and half years. I didn’t come to support my team right away.  I initially started supporting another team but due to internal issues it did not last longer than a month. Then I came to an Energetik game and although we did not win that match, I really liked the team. A little later, under the discussion of this match, there was my photo and a comment under it: "Well done, boy" - the comment was not from the club but from an ordinary fan and I remember this moment well. The team management was always happy to see me, some other spectators also came up during the breaks and praised me for my support. When I attended the most important matches I saw some victories and some defeats - I only began to root for the club more strongly. All this made me understand-that team for my heart.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO GET INTO A MATCH IN THE BELARUSIAN PREMIER LEAGUE? 

Attending the games of the Belarusian Premier League will not be expensive for European spectators. A ticket for a game will cost around the equivalent to two to eight euros.

HOW MUCH IS A PINT OF LAGER AT A GAME IN BELARUS? 

A pint of in Belarus costs about the equivalent of around 2 euros depending on where you are. Other drinks are sold in bottles and cost about the same. When it's cold in the stadiums many fans drink cups of tea. In Belarus many fans eat burgers and hot-dogs like supporters do in England.

THERE ARE SOME LONG JOURNEYS - HOW DO YOU GET TO AWAY GAMES? 

Unfortunately, I cannot attend the away games in other cities yet as I am still studying. But this season we played home matches in Molodechno and I could go there, I took a minibus.

WHAT'S THE BEST GROUND YOU'VE BEEN TO?

Dynamo stadium in Minsk. It's a very large ground with excellent views of the pitch. This is the best football stadium in Minsk.

WHO ARE THE BEST SET OF OPPOSING FANS IN BELARUS? 

Fans of Dynamo Brest - They set an example for our entire country in terms of support. Also I can not fail to mention Dynamo Minsk and Shakhtyor Soligorsk.  

WHAT'S THE BEST GAME YOU'VE EVER SEEN? 

The best game is definitely Energetik-BGU v Dnyapro. This match was very important and we won it in a tough fight After this match, I was able to personally thank each of our players.

(Sunday 1st December 2019 saw Energetik win 5-3 at home against Dnyapro in the final game of the 2019 season - Dnyapro were 2-3 up with only 15 minutes to go - three late goals got the points for The Students) 

HOW WOULD YOU IMPROVE THE GAME IN BELARUS? 

It is difficult to say how one person can improve football in Belarus. Well, probably thanks to my support, the Energetik players try and work harder - the head coach calls me our mascot. 

WHO IS THE BEST PLAYER IN BELARUS FOR THE 2020 SEASON?

Igor Stasevich is definitely the best player in Belarus this season. I would like to believe that one day the best player is Energetik player. 

(Stasevich, 35, has played for BATE since 2015 and the attacking midfielder is full Belarusian International with 61 caps to his name. It has recently been announced he has left BATE so will have a new club next season)