FC MTZ-RIPO Information Zone

New logo unveiled

2008-04-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

MTZ-RIPO Football Club is delighted to unveil the brand new logo for the 2008 season.

Hleb tops Belarus poll again

2008-04-11T12:46:00.000-07:00

Arsenal FC midfielder Aleksandr Hleb has been voted the Belarus footballer of the year for the fifth time in six years.

Top again
The 26-year-old topped the poll in the country's Pressball newspaper, receiving 818 points, with FC Moskva goalkeeper Yuri Zhevnov runner-up on 314. Hleb has now been crowned Belarus' best player more times than anyone else, surpassing Sergei Gotsmanov who picked up the crown four times in the 1980's. The coaches and captain's of the senior and under-21 sides, Vysshaya Liga clubs, as well as referees and journalists all took part in the annual poll.

Source:
uefa.com - Football Europe - News & Features - News Specific

FC MTZ-RIPO - MyMiniCity

2008-02-04T21:17:00.000-08:00

FC MTZ-RIPO - MyMiniCity

Dinamo's silver jubilee dulled by death and indifference

2007-11-20T06:58:00.000-08:00

Dinamo's silver jubilee dulled by death and indifference
The commemorative celebrations of Belarusian side Dinamo's only Soviet title were marred by official apathy and the tragic absence of Alexander Prokopenko

Jonathan Wilson November 20, 2007 11:46 AM

Three months ago, with seven minutes remaining of a Belarusian Cup game against PMK-7 in Gantsevichi, MTZ-Ripo brought on Yuri Pudyshev, the man who had captained their city rivals Dinamo to the greatest success in their history. Nothing too surprising about that, perhaps - until you consider that Pudyshev is a 53-year-old assistant coach and that success was achieved quarter of a century ago.

It was 25 years ago yesterday that Dinamo won the Soviet title for the only time in their history and, if Pudyshev had had his way, the date would have been marked with an exhibition game. His cameo in Gantsevichi was intended to advertise his frustration, but this week will pass without any official celebration, and Pudyshev will be forced to resort to less uplifting forms of commemoration.

"No one's making any efforts," he complained in August. "We've heard nothing from Hearts [who, like MTZ-Ripo, are owned by Vladimir Romanov] or any of the former Soviet teams. November is getting closer, so it's time to find sponsors, but we don't know who we can play against. The 25th anniversary is important, but if we don't find any fucking sponsors we'll just have to go to the pub and drink like we've been thirsty for quarter of a century. We'll celebrate somehow or other."

His anger at the passing of the glories of this world would be arresting enough, but what makes his words really poignant is the fact that every time the Dinamo squad of 1982 meet in the pub, they must be painfully aware of a player who is missing. Mikhail Vergeenko was a fine goalkeeper, Sergei Gotsmanov a powerful full-back and Sergei Aleinikov a sumptuously gifted midfielder, but the darling of the Minsk fans, without question, was Alexander Prokopenko. He was a heartbreaker of a midfielder, but he was also a drinker, a relentless, incorrigible, self-destructive drinker. He always drank like he'd been thirsty for quarter of a century.

Had he lived, Prokopenko would have turned 54 last Saturday. But he could not live. There was something too intense about him and about his genius. There seemed no limit to his talent, and until his liver gave way, there seemed no limit to his capacity for alcohol. As Vasily Sarychev wrote in The Moment and the Destiny, his book celebrating Belarus's greatest sporting heroes: "The stands knew he would go for 90 minutes. He would sooner die than cease his motion on the pitch through tiredness or laziness."

The fans loved him too because he drank with them. Sacha Prokop, as they knew him, was one of them, an ordinary worker who enjoyed his booze and just happened to be the most imaginative footballer his republic had ever produced. With journalists or strangers he was pathologically shy, so self-conscious about a speech impediment that interviews terrified him. With a beer in the bar, with the locals he trusted, he could be charm itself.

There is a photograph in Dinamo's archive that shows him, clad in a leather jacket and clutching a bouquet, jogging away from a crowd of head-scarfed babushkas. They are all looking at him, laughing, while a slight smile plays on his face. Nobody remembers now the context in which it was taken, but the obvious interpretation is that he has paused to make a joke, and has been left behind as a result. Perhaps that is not the case, but it would be hard to argue that the shot does not show a man hugely popular with his public.

Inevitably, it is one of the 11 goals he scored in 1982 that stands as the icon of the championship season, a moment of backheeled improvisation against Dynamo Kyiv made all the more piquant by the fact that Prokopenko would never have got anywhere near Valeriy Lobanovskyi's side. Lobanovskyi's scientific approach did not, as some have claimed, militate against individual genius, but nor did it have any place for unreliability. And a man who drank as much as Prokopenko couldn't be anything but unreliable. He was lucky in Minsk to find Eduard Malofeev, coach who with his belief in expressive, attacking football, was prepared to tolerate his waywardness and to try to nurture the brilliance beneath.

That Prokopenko's problems were severe only became obvious in the aftermath of the 1980 Olympics. He was part of the USSR squad that won bronze, but he missed the rest of that season as his drinking intensified. He recovered sufficiently to play his part in Dinamo Minsk's triumph, but as Malofeev left and Dinamo's form disintegrated in the seasons that followed, he turned increasingly to the bottle. He spent time at LTP, a state sponsored rehab clinic, but, acting on the orders of local Party officials, Dinamo would not take him back. "He had to earn the right to play for the best team in the Republic," Sarychev wrote.

Malofeev's former assistant Gennady Abramovich stepped in and persuaded the second-division side Dnepr Mogilev to give Prokopenko another chance. He managed a season there, and impressed sufficiently to earn a move to Nefchi Baku, but the magic was gone. He played against Dinamo Minsk and even scored against Spartak Moscow, but he was never entirely happy in Azerbaijan, and before long the drinking got out of control again. He was readmitted to the LTP in 1989, but died two months later, aged just 35. Aleinikov remembers he was buried in the white suit that had been given to each of the Olympic squad nine years earlier. "He was followed by the smell of grass and of skin, by the joy of his goals and by empty cans," Sarychev wrote. "When the need for football went, the urge died in him, the urge he was born to fulfil."

Hopefully Pudyshev enjoyed his bender last night. Hopefully he and whichever of his team-mates turned up regaled each other with old stories, lamented Dinamo's decline (they finished ninth this season), and cursed a football establishment that prefers not to honour the past. You can be sure they honoured Prokopenko, and they will meet to remember him again, as they do every year on the anniversary of his death, with a ceremony by his grave on March 29.

The glories of the world always pass, but some pass quicker than others.

Guardian Unlimited: Sport blog: Dinamo's silver jubilee dulled by death and indifference

UEFA EURO 2008™ - Belarus brush Albania aside

2007-11-19T12:31:00.000-08:00

Maksim Romashchenko and Vitali Kutuzov both scored twice as Belarus powered to a Group G victory in Albania.

Quick goals
Romashchenko fired the visitors ahead just before the half-hour mark, but two goals in four minutes from Erion Bogdani and Edmond Kapllani saw Albania take the lead before Kutuzov's equaliser in added time at the end of the first half. Kutuzov grabbed a second in the 54th minute before Romashchenko (63) sealed the win from the penalty spot.

Romashchenko warning
The hosts had the best of the opening chances and almost took the lead in spectacular fashion in the 20th minute, Klodian Duro's long-range effort fizzing narrowly wide. Belarus fired a warning through Romashchenko before the same player drilled the ball low into the net from way outside the area for a lovely opener.

Touch of class
Albania's leveller also had a touch of class about it, as Bogdani picked up the ball just inside the penalty area and fired a shot high into the centre of the goal. Kapllani and Kutuzov then traded goals, while the latter edged the visitors back in front when sidefooting the ball in. And worse was to come for the hosts as Romashchenko scored from the spot having been felled himself.

Qualified teams
The two teams return to action against the nations who have qualified from the section on Wednesday, when Albania travel to Romania and Belarus finish against the Netherlands in Minsk.

©uefa.com 1998-2007. All rights reserved.

uefa.com - UEFA EURO 2008™ - Fixtures & Results - Match Specific

German clubs eye Hleb as Hearts move stalls

2007-08-04T10:23:00.000-07:00

BELARUSSIAN international striker Vyacheslav Hleb last night admitted his proposed move to Hearts is now in jeopardy amid interest from Germany.

The 24-year-old forward, younger brother of Arsenal star Alexander, appeared set to join Hearts for the new season from MTZ Ripo of Minsk, who are financed by Tynecastle majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov.

Work permit complications had blocked previous bids to bring Hleb to Edinburgh, but he has now played 75 per cent of Belarus' competitive games during the last two years to qualify.

Romanov informed the former Stuttgart, Hamburg and Grasshoppers player in June that he would be heading to Scotland and preliminary contract discussions were held.

But the pair have not spoken for more than a month and Hleb admits he is in limbo, especially after Hearts added four new faces in Ruben Palazuelos, Ricardas Beniusis, Andrius Ksanavicius and Matej Rapnik earlier this week.

Now German sides are reported to be willing to offer around £500,000 for Hleb's signature.

He said: "Perhaps next week or the week after something will happen and I can come to Scotland. I have some interest from other clubs. Maybe I will go to Scotland, maybe I will go to Germany. Everything depends on Romanov. Romanov is thinking about this just now. I have a contract with Romanov so if he says I go to Hearts, I go to Hearts. If he says I go to Germany, I go to Germany."

Meanwhile, Hearts assistant coach Stevie Frail believes the club are approaching the new season from a strong team base after putting last season's internal troubles behind them.

After former captain Steven Pressley revealed dressing-room unrest last October and eventually departed for Celtic with Paul Hartley, Hearts faced more problems in March after a 4-0 home defeat from Dundee United.

Frail revealed cliques within the club with different nationalities siding together and not bonding as a group. But Frail, assured of his future after being handed a one-year deal this week, feels the team spirit at Hearts has been fully restored ahead of next Monday's league opener with city rivals Hibs in Gorgie.

He said: "I think the stronger team spirit comes from last season when we sunk to a level that I hope we don't have to go back to. After the famous Dundee United game, obviously things from there could only go up the way.

"The players bought into it and have kept it going. As long as we've got 11 players come game time pulling in the same direction, it makes up for a lot of failings in other departments. It's not to say that we have any, but if everyone is going the same way then you've got a chance."

On the impending derby, Frail added: "Both teams would maybe rather have this derby game two or three weeks into the season, but it's now Monday. We know what night games are like in Europe at Tynecastle so I'm sure it'll be much the same atmosphere when Hibs come calling. It's up to us to keep going and progressing this season. We want to win everything we enter."

ED HODGE

Scotsman.com Sport - Football - German clubs eye Hleb as Hearts move stalls

Yuri Puntus is back as head coach at MTZ-RIPO

2007-06-26T05:39:00.000-07:00

ANGEL CHERVENKOV will be given the chance to stake a claim for a coaching position at Hearts. The Bulgarian will fly to Austria tomorrow with the Hearts squad to help with their pre-season preparations.
There has been a major reshuffle in the coaching staff at two of the three clubs in which Vladimir Romanov has an interest.
Belarus boss Yuri Puntus resigned yesterday to take over as head coach at MTZ-Ripo in Minsk as the man he replaced, Andrei Zygmantovich, prepares to head to FBK Kaunas. Chervenkov, 42, had been in charge of the Lithuanian club for only two months but he will now be seconded to the Jambos for at least the next two weeks.
Chervenkov, a former assistant coach at CSKA Sofia, is not being lined up as head coach at Tynecastle.
However, Romanov wants to see how he works with current boss Anatoliy Korobochka, assistant Steve Frail and the Jambos' first-team squad.
If he impresses he could win a role at the club in the longer term but it's unlikely to be in a position more senior to Frail.
Chervenkov was originally due to fly to Austria with former Hearts coach Eduard Malofeev to run the rule over the Hearts squad and several trialists with a view to identifying players for Kaunas and MTZ-Ripo.
He is now expected to work more closely with Korobochka and Frail, who have been given the green light to continue pre-season preparations by Romanov.
Hearts will fly to Austria for the first of two training camps and will play two matches, against Ukrainian side Tavria Simferopol on Sunday and Austria Vienna on July 7.
They will then move on to Germany from July 11, working in the same town, Paderborn, that will host Rangers.
Scotland keeper Craig Gordon returned to pre-season training at the weekend but admits there are no guarantees he'll still be at Tynecastle in August.
Sunderland have slapped in a £3million bid for the Gorgie skipper, although Gordon would rather join a club in the higher reaches of the English Premiership.
It is believed Hearts are also holding out for an offer of at least £5m before they will agree to sell.
Gordon, asked whether he'd be in place when the SPL starts with the derby crunch against Hibs, said: "Who knows? There is an awful lot of time to go before that.
"It doesn't take long for a transfer if it is going to happen and if not I'll be out there giving it my all for the first derby of the season.
"It's entirely down to Hearts if they accept any bids. I've got to remain fully focused on my job of being captain of Hearts and getting ready for the new season.
"I love living in the city but if something comes up that would further your career by playing at a higher level, then that is something you'd have to consider."
ANGEL IN JAMBOS JOB TRIAL By Gary Ralston
The Daily Record - printable version

Malofeev's back

2007-06-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

CONTROVERSIAL former Hearts coach Eduard Malofeev will jet out to Austria next week to be part of Hearts' pre-season training camp.

However it is understood that Malofeev, who failed to win a single game while in interim control of team matters at Tynecastle, is not in line for a permanent return to the club.

Malofeev took just three points from a possible 15 during his time in charge as Hearts endured their worst run of results in 40 years, before taking over as head coach of MTZ Ripo in January.

Kaunas coach Angel Chervenkov will also accompany Malofeev on the trip as Hearts begin their build-up to the new season with a week-long training camp in Austria, which will culminate in a friendly match against Austria Vienna.

While the two men will have an input into the players' training regime, they are expected to return to their respective clubs, who are both currently in the middle of their league seasons, at the end of the camp.

The Minsk outfit are heavily financed by Romanov's Ukio Bankas Investment Group, similar to Lithuanian side FBK Kaunas.

Russian-born Malofeev was head of Ripo's youth academy during 2005 before becoming head coach at Kaunas two years ago. He arrived at Tynecastle in June last year as an "advisor to the board on sporting matters" and was then placed in control of team affairs for a period between October and November after Valdas Ivanauskas was granted temporary leave due to ill health.

Meanwhile doctors who operated on Barcelona star Carlos Puyol have revealed that the player will be out of action for at least 12 weeks.

The defender had surgery on torn ligaments in his left knee on Thursday night, and doctor Ramon Cugat warned that the player's recovery period "will be no less than three months as it is a treacherous and problematic tear."

Puyol had been expected to travel to Scotland next month for friendly matches against Hearts and Dundee United.

Almost 23,000 tickets have been sold for the match at Murrayfield, which is still five weeks away, on Saturday July 28. Briefs are available either in person at the Tynecastle or Scottish Rugby ticket centres, by calling 08716631874, option one, or online at: www.heartsfc.co.uk.

Edinburgh Evening News - Sport - Malofeev's back

Romanov throws down gauntlet to Hleb over move

2007-06-18T20:40:00.000-07:00

VLADIMIR Romanov has warned Vyacheslav Hleb that he must improve his form if he wants to earn a contract at Hearts. The Belarusian international, younger brother of Arsenal's Alexander Hleb, is set to team up with Hearts during the pre-season training camp in Germany, but a contract remains in the balance, as Romanov hinted that he could be overtaken in his race to sign for the Tynecastle club, by in-form Kaunas forward Ricardas Beniusis .

"Once the Hearts players return from their holidays they will spend about ten days just warming up, before heading off for their pre-season training camp in Germany. Hleb will join up with them there," confirmed Romanov.

However, the Hearts owner admitted that he has been left underwhelmed by Hleb's form and strike rate for MTZ Ripo.

"To be frank, [Hleb's form] is disappointing. He has only managed to score twice in the Belarusian championship, while Beniusis, who is also hoping for a move to Hearts, has scored 14 for Kaunas, and heads the league's top scorers by a distance. That's quite a tangible difference. So we'll have to see what happens.

"The final decision will be taken by the club's head coach, Anatoliy Korobochka. I will heed his opinion."

Scotsman.com Sport - Football - Romanov throws down gauntlet to Hleb over move

Hearts closing in on Hleb capture

2007-06-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

FC MTZ-RIPO striker Vyacheslav Hleb will be a Hearts player next season, according to his representative.
Work permit complications blocked previous bids by Tynecastle owner Vladimir Romanov to sign the younger brother of Arsenal star Alexander.

But Nikolai Shpilevsk told the Edinburgh Evening News: "Slava and I spoke with Romanov and it looks very good for him to come to Hearts.

"We think he will be in Edinburgh by the end of the month."

The 24-year-old former Grasshopper and Hamburg forward plays for MTZ Ripo Minsk - a club that Romanov also backs financially.

MTZ Ripo, managed by one-time Hearts coach Eduard Malofeev, are eight games into their domestic season.

"I speak with Slava every day and he is desperate to get to Hearts," added Shpilevsk.

"We don't want to talk about the contract because it has not been signed yet, but it will be longer than one year. It will be a permanent transfer."

Hleb, a member of the Belarus international squad, was a substitute in the recent European Championship qualifying double-header with Bulgaria.

BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Heart of Midlothian | Hearts closing in on Hleb capture

Hleb finally on his way to Tynecastle

2007-06-12T14:07:00.000-07:00

VYACHESLAV HLEB is on his way to Hearts after his transfer from Belarussian club MTZ Ripo was sanctioned during weekend negotiations with Vladimir Romanov.

The talented forward and his agent held lengthy discussions with Romanov on Saturday, the outcome being Hleb should finalise a permanent move to Tynecastle before the month is out.

Work permit complications have twice denied him the opportunity to join Hearts in the last 12 months, however international outings in March and in last week's double header against Bulgaria mean he has now played 75 per cent of Belarus' competitive games during the last two years. That should allow the 24-year-old to satisfy UK Home Office regulations and render a work permit a formality.

He will sign a two or three-year contract and become the first man to appear for all three clubs under Romanov's umbrella. As well as Hearts and MTZ Ripo, the Russian banker also finances FBK Kaunas of Lithuania, for whom Hleb played as a guest at January's Commonwealth Cup in Moscow.

Nikolai Shpilevsky, the player's Belarussian representative, told the Evening News: "Slava and I spoke with Romanov three days ago and it looks very good for him to come to Hearts. The discussions were very positive and both parties are willing to complete the transfer.

"I speak with Slava every day and he is desperate to get to Hearts. It will take a few days to manage the whole thing and for the final conversations to take place. We think he will be in Edinburgh by the end of the month."

Shpilevsky was reluctant to divulge the length of contract offered to his client but confirmed that Hleb will be signed directly to Hearts rather than negotiate a loan deal from MTZ Ripo.

"We don't want to talk about the contract because it has not been signed yet, but it will be longer than one year. It will be a permanent transfer," he added.

Hleb could yet find himself forming a dream partnership next season along with the mercurial Chilean Mauricio Pinilla. Hearts own 50 per cent of Pinilla's contract but the striker has spent the last six months on loan at Universidad de Chile.

That agreement ended abruptly after a recent bar-room incident with a Universidad team-mate and the player is now in Cancun, Mexico, on a break. However, sources in Santiago say he is still intent on returning to Tynecastle.

Gavin Rae, a reported signing target for Hearts, is in discussions over a possible move to English Championship side Norwich City. "Gavin is one of a number of players we are looking at," said Jim Duffy, the former Hearts director of football who is now assistant coach at Carrow Road.

"Gavin is a player I do know. He has been at Glasgow Rangers, he's an international player and he is a player we have discussed, but there is nothing imminent.

"The cliched answer from the player is that he is looking at his options. And the cliched answer from the club is he is one of a number of possibilities, but that is true. We spoke to his agent just to see what the situation is. He has been on holiday and perhaps later this week we would like to have a further chat."

BARRY ANDERSON (banderson@edinburghnews.com)

Scotsman.com Sport - Football - Hleb finally on his way to Tynecastle

Belarus 0 Bulgaria

2007-06-04T03:49:00.000-07:00

A brace from Dimitar Berbatov gave Bulgaria a huge boost in their bid for Euro 2008 qualification with a comfortable Group G victory over Belarus.
The Tottenham Hotspur striker scored in the 28th and 46th minutes to bring his side right back into Group G contention and moved them to within touching distance of the top two, Holland and Romania.

Teams:

Belarus Zhevnov, Omelyanchuk (Strakhanovich 71), Shtanuk,Tigorev, Kulchy, Kalachev, Korytko, Kovba, Alexander Hleb,Kornilenko (Vasiluk 59), Kutuzov (Viacheslav Hleb 46).
Subs Not Used: Khomutovsky, Yurevich, Bulyga, Bliznuk.
Booked: Omelyanchuk, Kulchy.

Bulgaria Ivankov, Tunchev, Tomasic, Angelov (Domovchiyski 90),Wagner, Telkiyski, Kishishev, Stiliyan Petrov,Yovov (Manchev 79), Martin Petrov (Genkov 90), Berbatov.
Subs Not Used: Petkov, Zanev, Sirakov, Topuzakov.

Goals: Berbatov 28, 46.
Att: 29,000
Ref: Jaroslav Jara (Czech Republic).

Sporting Life - Football

Belarussian national coach Yuri Puntus has declared no allegiance to Romanov

2007-06-01T06:33:00.000-07:00

Belarussian national coach Yuri Puntus has declared no allegiance to Romanov over the midfield pair of Vyacheslav Hleb and Oleg Strahanovich.

Both players have prospective moves to Hearts hanging in the balance but will firstly be required to satisfy Home Office regulations by playing 75 per cent of international matches for Belarus. Failing to do so would likely see them denied UK work permits.

Romanov's financing of the Belarussian side MTZ Ripo enabled him to forge a close relationship with Puntus during the coach's tenure at the Minsk club. But Puntus is adamant that his decisions and team selection as national coach will not be influenced by the predicaments of Hleb and Strahanovich.

He said: "I'll be honest, this situation exists. But I control it. Certainly, internet comments which hint that I have material interest in this are nonsense.

"In football, just like everyday life, we must help each other. Players help the manager, manager helps them. I'm sure of this. If I can achieve positive results with the national team and at the same time help those boys get work permits, what's wrong with that?

"I trust in these players, I value them because they can bring results. They are reliable, they won't let me down. But if I feel that Strahanovich and Hleb are out of form and can't help the team I won't play them. The result of the national team is above everything."

Scotsman.com Sport - Football - Vlad rejects swoop for Georgian ace: "allegiance"

Edgaras Jankauskas might join FC MTZ-RIPO

2007-05-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

Hearts have confirmed Lithuanian striker Edgaras Jankauskas has left the club.

The 31 year-old, capped 46 times by his country, has been told his contract will not be renewed and is attracting interest from La Liga side Recreativo de Huelva.

Former Hearts head coach Valdas Ivanauskas now works in a director of football type role for majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov and he revealed that the striker will also have the option of signing for FBK Kaunas of Lithuania or the Belarussian side MTZ Ripo as they are financed by Romanov's Ukio Bankas Investment Group.

Ivanauskas told the Edinburgh Evening News: "Edgaras is free now.

"He is a big player and we will talk with him next week.

"I don't think he will go back to Hearts, but he still has a big future.

"He is a high-profile player and for him it's very important to be without injuries for the new season."

Jankauskas failed to settle in Edinburgh and was dogged by injury problems after moving to Tynecastle in 2005.

And with the club looking to buy in more British players for next season, it was decided that the £10,000 per week would be better spent elsewhere.

JANKAUSKAS LEAVES HEARTS | News, Fixtures, Results, Match Reports, Stats

Romanov set to buy Rangers

2007-03-31T20:09:00.000-07:00

Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov is set to shock the footballing world by buying out current Rangers owner David Murray at Ibrox to become the new owner of Rangers.

Romanov plans to sell Hearts' Tynecastle Stadium to property developers to help fund the move, which also leaves Hearts facing an uncertain future.

The Russian will cut all ties with Hearts and instead concentrate on Rangers who he considers as being the bigger fish in the SPL pond.

Romanov has caused controversy ever since he took control of Hearts, by sacking several managers and interfering in team selection. He has also criticised everyone in the Scottish game from referees to players and has become a very unpopular figure.

But the Russian, who also owns FBK Kaunas in Lithuania, and FC MTZ-RIPO in Belarus, will make his most contoversial move of all with his bid to take over Glasgow giants Rangers FC.

The move could mean an end to the management team of Walter Smith and Ally McCoist with Romanov likely to bring in an unknown Lithuanian or Russian to act as his puppet, which would allow him to pick the team himself.

It is also likely that Romanov will force Rangers to sell their best players such as Barry Ferguson, Chris Burke and Kris Boyd so he can bring in the reserve team from FBK Kaunas.

If you got this far into the story and actually believe it, then guess what? APRIL FOOL!!!!

Don't worry folks, Mr Romanov will not be taking over Rangers at all... we hope!

Rangers FC - Romanov set to buy Rangers

Malofeev is leaving MTZ-RIPO

2007-03-30T06:42:00.000-07:00

Eduard Malofeev, MTZ-RIPO head football coach, stepped down from his coaching position after coming back from the training camp in Germany and just 2 days before the first game of the new season. Also the reason of his departure is still unknown some sources in Minsk said he might be taking a new positon in the club or moving back to Scotland.

Luxembourg Lose Again - Australian FourFourTwo - The Ultimate football Website

2007-03-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

Luxembourg Lose Again - Australian FourFourTwo - The Ultimate football Website

VLAD'S NOT MAD AND HE'LL GET THE LAST LAUGH

2007-03-15T06:26:00.000-07:00

icScotland - VLAD'S NOT MAD AND HE'LL GET THE LAST LAUGH

Belarusian soccer internationals at center of drinking binge scandal

2007-03-15T06:12:00.000-07:00

Two members of the Belarusian national soccer squad are at the center of a scandal after a drinking binge aboard a Vilnius-bound train.

European Radio for Belarus reported with reference to a blogger earlier this week that Aleh Strakhanovich and Vyachaslaw Hleb had displayed unruly behavior while traveling to Lithuania where the pair play their club soccer.

In particular, the visibly drunk players started bickering with Lithuanian border guards.

Mr. Hleb, brother of Arsenal midfielder Alyaksandr Hleb, was allowed to stay on board, while Mr. Strakhanovich was gotten off the train.

When reached by the independent radio station, a Lithuanian border control officer confirmed the report, saying that Mr. Strakhanovich had been "pushing a train attendant" and making verbal threats.

Tests showed that Mr. Strakhanovich had drunk roughly 400 grams of vodka shortly before his detention.

Yury Puntus, head coach of the Belarusian national team, declined to comment on the incident, saying that he would discuss the matter with the players.

Messrs. Hleb and Strakhanovich were signed by FC Kaunas from MTZ-RIPO Minsk this winter. Both clubs are owned by Lithuanian businessman Vladimir Romanov.

Both players have been called up for Belarus' Euro 2008 qualifier against Luxembourg.

Belarusian soccer internationals at center of drinking binge scandal | BELARUS NEWS

Big guns fire again in Belarus

2007-02-09T06:47:00.000-08:00

uefa.com - Football Europe - News & Features - News Specific
Wednesday, 7 February 2007
by Denis Orlov

Extra spice has been added to the forthcoming season in Belarus after FC MTZ-RIPO Minsk and FC Darida Zhdanovichi recruited coaches Eduard Malofeev and Anatoly Baidachny – both of whom have previously worked with the national side.

National success
Malofeev had a successful spell with the national team between 2000 and 2003 before being replaced by Baidachny, who coached the squad until the end of 2005. Malofeev took charge at MTZ-RIPO in December while Baidachny became the coach of FC Darida Zhdanovichi. MTZ-RIPO finished fourth in the league last season while Darida ended in eighth place. Both clubs will be keen to get into the top-three when the league starts again in April with MTZ-RIPO also pushing for a UEFA Cup spot via the Belarus Cup, in which they face FC BATE Borisov in the quarter-finals.

Infectious energy
The new MTZ-RIPO coach has lost none of his passion for the game despite spending nearly three decades in coaching. Malofeev, 64, said: "I am full of energy now - the same as when I was 36 years old and just finishing coaching school. I will conduct practice sessions with the same energy. As soon as someone stops working hard they should quit work and pick up their pension." Malofeev has even promised to assist fellow coaches if they require his help and with current FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk and FC Dinamo Minsk coaches, Yuri Vergeichik and Petr Kachuro, having both studied under Malafeev, he should be inundated with offers.

Increased expectations
Meanwhile, 54-year-old Baidachny has high expectations for Darida. He said: "I hope we can build a strong team that will be capable of success. We will look for investment and rich partners, probably from outside Belarus. I think the quality of play and interest in the league will grow." Darida went to Turkey for a training camp at the end of January with MTZ-RIPO set to follow their example soon. Last Friday, Darida played a goalless ‘friendly’ against FC Dinamo Makhachkala – which ended in controversial fashion. The referee showed three red cards, including one to Darida's Sergey Kabelsky, so it appears that Baidachny has already installed an uncompromising attitude into his players prior to the season’s commencement.

uefa.com - Football Europe - News & Features - News Specific

MTZ-RIPO in Turkey

2007-02-07T19:32:00.000-08:00

MTZ-RIPO is leaving today for Turkey training camp. The team will prepare for the 2007 season with a two-week training camp in Belek, Turkey. MTZ-RIPO is scheduled to play three friendly matches:

February 10th - MFC Sopron (Hungary) and reserve team playing against Alania (Russia)
February 15th – both teams with Rabotnichki (Macedonia)
February 20th - FC Midtjylland (Denmark)

Iran 2-2 Belarus - UEFA EURO 2008™

2007-02-07T18:27:00.000-08:00

A weakened Belarus, missing Aleksandr Hleb, Maksim Romashchenko, Sergei Gurenko and Valentin Belkevich, performed impressively to hold the 2006 FIFA World Cup finalists in Tehran. The hosts gained the initiative six minutes in through Rasoul Khatibi's overhead kick before Belarus, fielding an experimental 3-4-1-2 system, struck twice through substitute Vyacheslav Hleb. Mehdo Radjabzade netted a late equaliser.

Source: uefa.com - UEFA EURO 2008™ - News - News Specific

IRAN FRIENDLY ANNOUNCED

2007-01-25T07:32:00.000-08:00

Yuri Puntus, Belarus National team and ex-MTZ-Ripo head coach has announced his squad to play Iran in an International friendly on Feb 7th in Azadi stadium, Tehran.

Included in the squad are no fewer than three players from MTZ-RIPO including the highly rated Vyacheslav Hleb and Oleg Strahanovich who recently helped FBK Kaunas on the CIS cup in Moscow.

CIS Champions Cup Update

2007-01-25T07:31:00.000-08:00

FBK Kaunas lost in the quarter-finals to FK Ventspils, Latvia 1–1 (2–3 PSO). Oleg Strahanovich 63'

MTZ-RIPO's Pre-Season Schedule Annouced

2007-01-23T12:55:00.000-08:00

Minsk - MTZ-RIPO announced its preseason schedule earlier this week, as the club prepares for the 2007 Belarusian Premier League season. The team already spent week training on the mountain skiing resort “Logoysk” near Minsk. Three friendly games will be played in January with the last one against the cross-town rival Dinamo Minsk on January 27th. The team will head to Turkey for two weeks of training in February (7-21). While in Turkey, members of the first team will play a host of games.