“It’s not every week that Belarus sits as the hottest topic of conversation when it comes to European football. The former Soviet nation has struggled in its sporting development since the collapse of the communist state – despite Belarus maintaining its political ideals – and has rarely figured highly on the international stage. Neither a World Cup nor European Championship has bore witness to Belarusian talent and it seems somewhat fanciful to think that a transformation will occur during the qualification for Brazil in 2014 – which two defeats in the opening couple of fixtures attests to. However, the recent exploits of Viktor Goncharenko’s BATE Borisov side in the opening exchanges of the Champions’ League group stages points to a somewhat brighter future on the horizon.” Slavic Football Union