Hopes are not high that the current crop of players, who sit in bottom spot in Group C without a point following their 6-0 thrashing by section leaders Denmark in Hungary on Thursday evening, can replicate their predecessors’ heroic feat this weekend for a variety of reasons.

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“The team of the early 2000s was the strongest we have ever had,” said Konstantin Nashchinets, a journalist for the Belarusian sports newspaper Pressball. “Our players were in England, Italy, Germany and Spain as well as the strongest teams in Russia and Ukraine. We had a truly exceptional squad.

“It’s a shame those guys couldn’t qualify for a top tournament. We had a very good World Cup qualifying campaign when we beat Scotland. But the victory at Hampden is one of the most memorable results in our team’s history.

“Alexander Hleb, who was at VfB Stuttgart at that time but who later moved on to Arsenal, played in that game and is one of the greatest footballers we have ever had. But Vitaly Kutuzov played for Milan and competed with Filippo Inzaghi and Andriy Shevchenko.

“We have had many quality players over the years. Sergei Aleinikov played for Juventus, Valentin Belkevich was the leader of Dynamo Kyiv and Sergei Gurenko played for Roma alongside Francesco Totti, Sergei Gotsmanov played in England for Brighton and Southampton.

“But, of course, Hleb reached incredible heights. Thanks to him, many people know about Belarus and Belarusian football. That was a great era for us as a country.”

Belarus manager Carlos Alos(Image: Andrew Milligan)

The pariah state is spoken about around Europe and across the world for other reasons, for all of the wrong reasons, these days. UEFA has banned their club sides and national team from hosting competitive matches due to their government’s involvement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They have to play their games at a neutral venue without any supporters in attendance. 

Nashchinets feels, like so many of his compatriots, the sanctions are unfair and unnecessary and believes they are hugely damaging to the national team’s chances of enjoying success on the international stage.

“Of course, all true Belarusians want for the team to play at home, in their own stadiums, in front of their own fans,” he said. “The current situation with our national team and clubs, in my opinion, is not consistent with sporting principles.

“Our teams are not on equal terms. But we can’t change anything. We’re forced to play under these conditions and wait until our players can play at home again.”

Belarusians were particularly upset when they had to play their World Cup qualifier against Scotland in Zalaegerszeg in Hungary last month.

They have fond recollections of the Tartan Army descending on Minsk in large numbers back in 2005 – and staying long after the final whistle had blown in a Group 5 encounter which finished 0-0. 

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“Some of them spent about a month in Belarus,” said Nashchinets. “Everyone was happy and got on well. Many football fans here still remember those guys with warm memories. I’m sure Scottish fans also have fond memories of Belarus. We are a very hospitable and friendly country.

“Where do we watch the games now? It all depends on the person. Some people like to watch in a pub with a noisy group of friends. Others, like me, prefer a warm family atmosphere.

“Football isn’t as popular in Belarus as it is in Britain. But we still have many fans of the game, many supporters of the Belarusian national team. They all love the team and support it as best as they can.”

Would Belarus have given a better account of themselves if there was a level playing field? Many of their fans are convinced they would be in a healthier position at this stage of their World Cup qualifying campaign if they had been allowed to stage their qualifiers on home turf. They have, despite their recent results, a lot going for them.

Billy Gilmour in action for Scotland against Belarus last month(Image: Andrew Milligan)

“The arrival of Spanish coach Carlos Alos has brought many new things to the Belarusian national team,” said Nashchinets. “The team has become more relaxed, the mood has improved, the players are smiling again and there are no conflicts.

“Sometimes the coach believes in the players even more than they do themselves. The team has gained wings. Thanks to certain changes in squad personnel and tactics, our team has begun to play more disciplined football. We drew 3-3 away with Switzerland in 2023 and we performed well in the last Nations League.

“In recent years, Belarusian football has seen the emergence of many genuine talents. Trofim Melnichenko, for example, signed a contract with Porto this winter. Pavel Apetenok could have moved to Italy’s Serie A this summer. Genoa, Cagliari and Torino were interested in him. But he signed with Greek club PAOK.

“Fedor Lapoukhov is currently playing alongside Liam Cooper at Bulgaria’s CSKA Moscow. These young men fear no one. They have a winning mentality and they represent our future.

“Our players play in many other countries – Russia, Portugal, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, Poland, Slovenia and so on. A significant portion of the Belarusian national team consists of foreign-based players.

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“Quite a few Belarusians have been playing and coaching in Kazakhstan in recent years. We were very happy when Kairat, where Aleksandr Martynovich and Valery Gromyko play, beat Celtic and reached the Champions League.

“Many people in Belarus are passionate about Scottish football thanks to the Old Firm derby. Everyone knows the Celtic v Rangers clash. Personally, I also follow Hearts closely.”

Nashchinets revealed that he is not the only Belarusian who supports the Tynecastle club and has been pleased to see them make such a positive start to the new season.

“I’ve been close to them since they were part of a holding company with Minsk’s MTZ-RIPO,” he said. “The club is having a very successful season. I’d really like to see their winning streak continue, the Scottish Premiership needs a new champion in my opinion.

“People like me certainly exist here. Are there many Hearts fans in this country? It is unlikely. However, there are quite a few people who know about Hearts, who still actively follow their results and who will be pleased if they win the league. These are mostly people who followed football 20 years ago. Back then, Hearts was a household name in Belarus, every football fan knew about them.

“Businessman Vladimir Romanov’s holding company, which included Kaunas in Lithuania, Minsk MTZ-RIPO and Hearts, seemed very promising. There were many rumours about players moving from Minsk to Edinburgh – Vyacheslav Hleb, Oleg Strakhanovich, Hamlet Mkhitaryan, Pavel Chesnovsky, the list could go on and on.

“Unfortunately, not a single player from the Belarusian club ever moved to the Scottish Premiership. After a while, the project fell apart. It’s a shame, because MTZ-RIPO, who later became Partizan, had a lot of fans. I’m sure many of them were also big fans of Hearts.

“Incidentally, not a single Belarusian footballer has played in the Scottish Premiership yet. Last year, there were rumours of defender Yegor Parkhomenko, who is currently in Scotland with the national team squad, joining Dundee United. But the transfer fell through.”

Nashchinets can recall how Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon was unable to keep a clean sheet the last time Belarus played Scotland at Hampden and he is hopeful history will repeat itself tonight.

“We approached this qualifying tournament with high hopes,” he said. “Everyone, the fans, the players and the experts, really wanted to compete for a spot in the World Cup. But, unfortunately, it has turned out to be a complete disaster. But we continue to hope for the best and believe in our team.

“After a disappointing start, the faith in success has decreased. Still, I’d really like to believe in surprises and success. After all, exactly 20 years ago, our guys managed to surprise us. Vitaly Kutuzov scored a very early goal against Craig Gordon and we won 1-0. Why not repeat that success?

“We’re not the weakest team. I certainly wouldn’t consider a possible victory for the Belarusian team a huge surprise. A slightly unexpected result, yes. But not a sensational one. But let’s not make any predictions, let’s just wait for the match.”