Opinions & Interviews

GOMEL, 10 August (BelTA) – FC Dinamo Minsk’s victory over Zenit St Petersburg has given the entire country an occasion for rejoicing, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said answering questions of Gomselmash employees during his working trip to Gomel Oblast, BelTA has learned.

“They made the entire country happy. Well done! They fought till the end. We saw what condition this Zenit was reduced to. Some players were nearly walking on all fours. It means they [Dinamo Minsk’s players] exhausted them substantially in that hot weather. They scored four times. This has made history,” the head of state said.

“What the Minskers did was sheer magic! They did a great job! The display of chest-thumping is a wrong thing to do. They played not with the millionaires but with the billionaires! It [Zenit] is the main club of Gazprom, its main pet project. Second, they just started their season. Third, they came putting on airs and graces and I guess they underestimated the Minsk team. Fourth, God was on our side, because sometimes they scored by pure luck. The luck is on the side of the strongest,” the Belarusian leader said.

“Therefore, the impressions are very good. They did not befoul the Dinamo Stadium we had renovated for the 2^nd European Games. It is an athletic stadium, but we decided to preserve the football field too,” the head of state said.

Alexander Lukashenko noted that a national football stadium will be built later with the help of the People’s Republic of China. This stadium will be twice as big as the renovated Dinamo Stadium. “This will be a modern and good stadium,” the president added.

As BelTA reported earlier, FC Dinamo Minsk routed Zenit St Petersburg 4-0 in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round. The return leg is due in St Petersburg on 16 August.