Get all the facts on Belarus's Euro 2009 team.
Belarus suffered just one defeat in their qualifying campaign and finished runners-up in their group to Serbia.
Their only defeat came against the Serbs (1-3), but they continued their good form by beating Turkey 2-1 on aggregate in the Play-Offs to book their passage to Sweden.
Star Man
Sergei Krivets scored three times in Belarus’s qualifying campaign and the versatile midfielder will be hoping to add to that tally in the Under-21 European Championship.
Krivets currently plays for FC Bate and experienced Champions League football for the first time this season, getting himself a goal against Juventus in the group stages. Krivets has been deployed as an attacking and defensive midfielder whilst also playing as a right winger for Belarus, since he made his debut in the qualifying campaign.
Manager
Yuri Kurnenin began his coaching career in the Soviet leagues before getting his big break in 1992 as manager of Belarusian side Dinamo Brest. He then went on to coach in Russia, Syria and Oman and in 2003 he became the assistant manager of the full Belarus national side. He took charge of the Under-21s in February 2006.
The Belarus Squad
Goalkeepers
Pavel Chesnovski (FC Vitebsk), Artyom Gomelko (FC Lokomotiv Moskva), Anton Kovalevski (FC Naftan Novopolotsk).
Defenders
Dmitri Verkhovtsov (FC Naftan Novopolotsk), Igor Shitov (FC BATE Borisov), Oleg Veretilo (FC Dinamo Minsk), Aleksei Yanushkevich (FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk), Aleksandr Martynovich (FC Dinamo Minsk), Nikolai Osipovich (FC MTZ-RIPO Minsk), Maksim Bordachov (FC BATE Borisov).
Midfielders
Mikhail Sivakov (Cagliari Calcio), Andrei Chukhlei (FC Dinamo Minsk), Aleksandr Volodko (FC BATE Borisov), Anton Putilo (FC Dinamo Minsk), Sergei Kislyak (FC Dinamo Minsk), Sergei Kryvets (FC BATE Borisov), Sergei Gigevich (FC Dinamo Minsk), Aleksandr Sachivko (FC Minsk), Sergei Balanovich (FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk), Mikhail Afanasiev (FC Amkar Perm).
Forwards
Leonid Kovel (FC Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast), Dmitri Komarovski (FC Naftan Novopolotsk), Vladimir Yurchenko (FC Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast).
Final Qualifying Standings
Group 8
|
Pld
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
GF
|
GA
|
Pts |
Serbia |
8 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
24 |
5 |
17 |
Belarus |
8 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
15 |
5 |
17 |
Hungary |
8 |
4 |
0 |
4 |
14 |
13 |
12 |
Latvia |
8 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
7 |
6 |
11 |
San Marino |
8 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
1 |
32 |
0 |
Play-Off For Final Tournament
10.10.2008 |
v |
Turkey |
(A) |
0-1 |
14.10.2008 |
v |
Turkey |
(H) |
2-0 |
Qualifying Results
02.06.2007 |
v |
Hungary |
(H) |
1-0 |
06.06.2007 |
v |
San Marino |
(A) |
3-0 |
22.08.2007 |
v |
Latvia |
(H) |
2-1 |
08.09.2007 |
v |
Serbia |
(A) |
1-3 |
16.10.2007 |
v |
Hungary |
(A) |
1-0 |
16.11.2007 |
v |
San Marino |
(H) |
6-0 |
20.11.2007 |
v |
Serbia |
(H) |
1-1 |
09.09.2008 |
v |
Latvia |
(A) |
0-0 |
Competition HistoryTournament appearances: 2004, 2009
Belarus have little history in this competition, having only reached the finals twice in their existence. Their highlight came in 2004 when they defeated Italy 2-1 in the opening game of the competition.