BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

12/11/2008

Belarus on the rise

by Michael Fiala

The knowledge that Belarus pushed England hard last month before losing 3-1 may provide some comfort, but it does not mask the stark fact that they have claimed only three points from three 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. As the side prepare to meet Cyprus in a friendly next week the country can, at least, reflect on a groundbreaking year for Belarussian football and the fact that in Bernd Stange they have a coach knows a thing or two about overcoming the odds.

Rising tide

These are heady times for football in Belarus, a nation hardly renowned as a hotbed of talent. FC BATE Borisov are making waves in the UEFA Champions League, Belarus have reached the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, and Stange's senior side are quickly establishing themselves among Europe's middle classes. "It's no fluke," said the 60-year-old. "Belarus have improved [35 places] in the FIFA world rankings since last October, the U21 side are doing well and BATE Borisov - a team most have never heard of - qualified for the Champions League group stage, beating [PFC] Levski Sofia and [RSC] Anderlecht on the way. I don't think you can call this luck. It's the result of a lot of hard work."

Unusual path

Hard work is certainly something Stange does not shy away from. Since cutting his coaching teeth in the ranks at FC Carl Zeiss Jena during the 1970s, the veteran has become accustomed to overcoming the odds, often in trying circumstances. Spells with the East German national team and as far afield as Perth, Ukraine and Oman followed before October 2002 when, despite the very real threat of military conflict, Stange became coach of Iraq.

'What a sensation!'

"I learned a lot," he said of what became a two-year tenure in the Middle East. "I started with normal ambitions but the war came and it was almost impossible to coach there. Still, "I saw how it is possible to create success despite the poorest of conditions - just with a football. There were no physios, no medical support, no proper football pitches, not even showers or other basic facilities, things normally taken for granted. But we were still successful". We qualified for the Olympics and came fourth - what a sensation! It's not all about the money - it's about heart, desire and motivation. It was a good experience for me."

Know-how

Experience is something Stange values above all when it come to coaching. He needs little reminding that the last two UEFA European Championships have culminated in a man of retirement age - Otto Rehhagel (65) in 2004 and Luis Aragones (69) four years later - holding the trophy. "The number of 'older' coaches at the highest level is rising," he said. "It's important to have experience as leading a team isn't something you can learn overnight. It is particularly important because nowadays you have only a little time with the players. You have a maximum of ten days, with three or four-day spells here and there, so you really need experience to be able to build a team so quickly." Stange has certainly wasted no time in making his mark since taking over as Belarus coach 15 months ago.

Source:

http://www1.uefa.com/magazine/edition=773856/newsid=773041/

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