Full name Football Club Minsk Chairman Igor Shloido League Belarusian Premier League Founded 2006 | Ground Capacity 3,000 2016 4th Manager Georgi Kondratiev | |
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Ground FC Minsk Stadium
Minsk, Belarus Arenas/Stadiums Dinamo Stadium, Torpedo Stadium | ||
FC Minsk (Belarusian: ФК Мінск) is a Belarusian football club based in Minsk. They play in the Belarusian Premier League, the highest division in Belarusian football.
Contents
History
The club was established in 2006 and was based on the Belarusian First League club Smena Minsk. FC Minsk took over Smena's license and was able to start immediately operating in the Belarusian First League without having to first play in the Second League. In the club's inaugural season in the First League, they were able to finish in first place guaranteeing them promotion to the Belarusian Premier League.
FC Minsk's first run out in the top tier of Belarusian football contained mooted performances and ended in relegation at the end of 2007, but they managed to bounce straight back the following year with a dominant campaign in Belarusian First League netting 72 goals and failing to win in only 3 of 26 games. 2008 therefore saw them once again competing in the Belarusian Premier League where they have remained since.
A 3rd-placed finish in 2010 saw FC Minsk embark on their first ever European campaign in the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League. In the first qualifying round, they were pitched against AZAL Baku of Azerbaijan and managed a 3–2 aggregate win over two legs. The second qualifying round saw them drawn against Gaziantepspor of Turkey, a tie in which they weren't as fortunate. After a creditable 1–1 draw at home, the away fixture in Gaziantep saw the Turkish side hit 4 goals as the tie finished 5–2 on aggregate in favour of the Gaziantepspor.
A further continental adventure took place in the summer of 2013, where a Belarusian Cup win gave FC Minsk a bye straight into the second qualifying round of the 2014-15 Europa League. This campaign proved to be much better as Minsk first swept aside Valletta of Malta 3–1 on aggregate before taking part in a thrilling encounter with the Scottish team, St. Johnstone in the third qualifying round. After losing 0–1 at home, FC Minsk managed to win 1–0 in Perth courtesy of a 75th-minute strike from Miloš Rnić forcing the match to extra time and eventually penalties. Minsk held their nerve and triumphed 3–2, booking themselves a place in the Europa League play-offs and a chance at competing in the tournament group stage. Seasoned veterans Standard Liège of Belgium awaited in the play-off however, their experience and class showing with a 5–1 aggregate win over the Minsk side concluding another European campaign.
Current squad
As of March 2017
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Honours
FC Minsk in Europe
Managers
Women's team
The women's team of Minsk has won the Belarusian Premier League in 2013 and 2014. It also has won the Belarusian Women's Cup in 2011, 2013 and 2014.