The Minsk Courier
Squad9 Oct 2028
Alexandr Gutor breaks a bone — 38 days out
Brutal, unambiguous and, for all the horror of the moment, usually less career-shaped than the ligament everybody fears more. 38 days, a clean timeline, and a return date somebody can actually plan around.
Squad9 Oct 2028
Daouda Natama in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Minsk this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad9 Oct 2028
Words at Minsk training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Konstantin Kuchinskiy is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The terraces9 Oct 2028
One of their own: Artem Laptev
He is 18 and the ground already sings his name, which is a thing that happens to local boys and almost never to signings. Everything from here is measured against an affection he did nothing to earn except be from here.
Match7 Oct 2028
Minsk get the job done against Torpedo-BelAZ
A 1‑0 win over Torpedo-BelAZ, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
The dugout9 Oct 2028
The manager makes an example of Dmitriy Denisenko D.
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Player ratings9 Oct 2028
Nobody could get near Emir Ernisov
Successful dribbles: 15. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Player ratings9 Oct 2028
Artem Laptev was the difference for Minsk
Marked 7.44. Ask anyone leaving the ground what settled it and you will get one name, which is the only award that has ever really counted.
The dugout9 Oct 2028
Valery Korzun has his say
“We earned that. I asked them for a reaction and I got one, and now I want the same again on Saturday.” Valery Korzun on a 1‑0 afternoon that pleased him more than he was prepared to show.
In brief
- The dugout Alexandr Ksenofontov gets picked when it counts
- Squad A Minsk teenager takes the young player award
- The dugout Ji-hun Park does not fit this one