Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has resisted calls for a nationwide lockdown, calling fears of the coronavirus epidemic “psychosis” and suggesting vodka or a sauna would help.
So as football leagues across Europe have shut down for safety, teams in Belarus are playing on. The country’s little-known league is now surging in popularity worldwide as match-hungry football fans tune in for live coverage.
But local supporters are increasingly abandoning stadiums, worried for their health.
Video produced by Sarah Rainsford and Elizaveta Vereykina. Filmed by Tatsiana Yanutsevich.
(Photo: Dynamo Brest fans. Credit: We Love You Dynamo Brest fan club)