At 40, Julián Benítez has come through every age group this club has, and now watches a borrowed player of much the same level start every week. An academy notices these things, and so do the parents in the stand.
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at BATE, and 7 appearances in 34 say he has earned the hearing.
A window away with the national side, and a shirt at BATE that briefly doubles as an advertisement. A call-up flatters the player and the club that built him in the same breath.
The board have answered with money instead of encouragement, which is the only answer a manager ever wants. Spending it well is now entirely his problem.
At 22, Yan Shumskiy has come through every age group this club has, and now watches a borrowed player of much the same level start every week. An academy notices these things, and so do the parents in the stand.
Every touch is being weighed now, in print and everywhere else. Some players grow into that and some are quietly ruined by it, and nobody knows which in advance.
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at BATE, and 7 appearances in 30 say he has earned the hearing.
He found out with everybody else, an hour before kick-off, from a sheet of paper on a wall. Nobody at BATE pretended it was anything other than a decision about him.
He found out with everybody else, an hour before kick-off, from a sheet of paper on a wall. Nobody at BATE pretended it was anything other than a decision about him.
The board have answered with money instead of encouragement, which is the only answer a manager ever wants. Spending it well is now entirely his problem.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at BATE, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” BATE have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at BATE, and 7 appearances in 26 say he has earned the hearing.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at BATE is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
A player who expected to start watched it instead. The manager will call it a decision for the team; Guljigit Borubaev will call it something else in private.
The name of Nikolay Mirskiy has come up in conversations BATE were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
A player who expected to start watched it instead. The manager will call it a decision for the team; Egor Kress will call it something else in private.
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. BATE know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
In brief
The terracesThe press cannot get enough of Mario Tajima
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at BATE, and 0 appearances in 6 say he has earned the hearing.
He found out with everybody else, an hour before kick-off, from a sheet of paper on a wall. Nobody at BATE pretended it was anything other than a decision about him.
Shifted about, taken off before the hour, asked to do somebody else's running — Mario Tajima has had enough of being useful and would like to be picked. BATE know, and have known for weeks.
The name of Zakhar Gitselev has come up in conversations BATE were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at BATE, and both men came out saying it was fine.
At 40, Julián Benítez has come through every age group this club has, and now watches a borrowed player of much the same level start every week. An academy notices these things, and so do the parents in the stand.
The name of Nikolay Mirskiy has come up in conversations BATE were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at BATE, and 5 appearances in 18 say he has earned the hearing.
The fee is $1.0M, the contract is signed, and the argument about whether he is worth it can begin. Dinamo Brest drove a hard bargain; time will say who won it.
The name of Zakhar Gitselev has come up in conversations BATE were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
Timofey Simanenka is 20, and BATE have signed him for the player he will be rather than the one he is. The first team can wait; the point of a deal like this is the years it buys.
A new face in his position, and Julián Benítez suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. BATE have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.
Asked to play a role that is not his, or taken off before the hour once too often — Julián Benítez has let it be known that he does not like the way BATE are using him. Managers hear this long before the press does.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” BATE have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at BATE, and 3 appearances in 14 say he has earned the hearing.
The crowd waited for a goal that never came. Slavia Mozyr defended in numbers and left with what they came for, and the two sides could be playing still without troubling a scorer.
In brief
SquadYan Shumskiy asks for a word with the manager
An error at the back is a moment; an error in goal is a goal. Danila Sokol knows it, the crowd knew it instantly, and there was nobody behind him to make it anything else.
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at BATE, and 1 appearances in 13 say he has earned the hearing.
The board have answered with money instead of encouragement, which is the only answer a manager ever wants. Spending it well is now entirely his problem.
An error at the back is a moment; an error in goal is a goal. Danila Sokol knows it, the crowd knew it instantly, and there was nobody behind him to make it anything else.
4 wins on the spin now, and the question has changed from whether the run ends to who ends it. Confidence like this cannot be bought; it has to be earned exactly this way.
3 wins on the spin now, and the question has changed from whether the run ends to who ends it. Confidence like this cannot be bought; it has to be earned exactly this way.
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at BATE, and 0 appearances in 5 say he has earned the hearing.
Shifted about, taken off before the hour, asked to do somebody else's running — Artem Rakhmanov has had enough of being useful and would like to be picked. BATE know, and have known for weeks.
A new face in his position, and Maxim Telesh suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. BATE have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.
He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.
The shirt still fits. Artem Rios is back at BATE, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.
The shirt still fits. Pavel Balanovich is back at BATE, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.
The shirt still fits. Mikalai Signevich is back at BATE, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at BATE, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at BATE, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The name of Nikolay Mirskiy has come up in conversations BATE were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at BATE, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at BATE, and both men came out saying it was fine.
There is a figure at which a wage bill stops being ambitious and becomes the reason nothing else is possible, and this club has reached it. Nothing is left over for a transfer, a stand or a rainy afternoon.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” BATE have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at BATE, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around BATE they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” BATE have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around BATE they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Every club in football pays most of what it earns to its players. Paying nearly all of it is a different arrangement, and it has ended the same way every time somebody has tried it.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” BATE have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at BATE is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at BATE is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” BATE have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” BATE have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at BATE is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” BATE have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around BATE they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Every club in football pays most of what it earns to its players. Paying nearly all of it is a different arrangement, and it has ended the same way every time somebody has tried it.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” BATE have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at BATE is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” BATE have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at BATE is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at BATE, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at BATE is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at BATE, and 2 appearances in 6 say he has earned the hearing.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around BATE they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
There is a figure at which a wage bill stops being ambitious and becomes the reason nothing else is possible, and this club has reached it. Nothing is left over for a transfer, a stand or a rainy afternoon.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at BATE, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at BATE is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” BATE have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at BATE, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at BATE is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
An error at the back is a moment; an error in goal is a goal. Danila Sokol knows it, the crowd knew it instantly, and there was nobody behind him to make it anything else.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at BATE is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at BATE, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around BATE they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Every club in football pays most of what it earns to its players. Paying nearly all of it is a different arrangement, and it has ended the same way every time somebody has tried it.
The award is a small thing with a heavy meaning: for four weeks nobody in this division did his job better. BATE have the trophy on a shelf and the player in the side.
“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at BATE has been clear about where Christian Intsoen stands, which is more than many ever get.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what BATE can pretend not to have heard.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around BATE they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
The list is a quiet document with a loud meaning. Anatoliy Yarmolich may talk to anybody who asks, and everybody at the club understands what that means.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around BATE they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
3 wins on the spin now, and the question has changed from whether the run ends to who ends it. Confidence like this cannot be bought; it has to be earned exactly this way.
He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. BATE have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at BATE is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. BATE have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. BATE have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around BATE they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at BATE has been clear about where Alexandr Shvedchikov stands, which is more than many ever get.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at BATE is pretending he will be back in the shirt.