English

Soccer fans call for boycotting Belarus’ home clash against world champions Spain

An influential group of soccer fans has called for a boycott of the Belarusian national team’s home game against world and European champions Spain in protest against high ticket prices and the police’s behavior.

The group, which calls itself B-12, has been the traditional source of the national team’s most vocal support during home and away games. However, weeks before Belarus’ October 12 World Cup qualifier against Spain the group called for boycotting the game.

The supporters protest what they view as the too high prices of tickets to the clash and the behavior of police providing security during Belarus’ home games. Many fans have complained of mistreatment by police during the national team’s games at the Dynama Stadium in Minsk.

A tickets to the Spain game is available only as part of a package that also includes a ticket to Belarus’ October 16 clash against Georgia. The ticket packages vary in price from 280,000 rubels ($33) to 480,000 rubels ($56.5) and the Belarusian Football Federation (BFF) has no plans to cut the prices. As many as 1,300 ticket packages had been sold by September 28.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, BFF Deputy Chairman Syarhey Safaryan attacked the fan group, saying that their boycott call was tantamount to a campaign against the entire country.

“If this is a campaign against me, they can come to my office and interfere with my work. I will understand that. They can puncture the tires of my automobile. They have chosen the wrong target of their protest,” Mr. Safaryan said.// BelaPAN