From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad11 Jan 2027
Dmitriy Gradoboev and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Squad11 Jan 2027
Gleb Krivtsov falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Market11 Jan 2027
Clubs spend fortunes looking for players and occasionally find one down the corridor. Viktar Signevich is that, and the reception he gets on his first appearance will be different in kind from the one any signing receives.
Market11 Jan 2027
There is no fee, no unveiling and no agent on the steps. Maksim Martynovich has been at this club since he was a boy and is now, formally, one of the first-team squad — which for a local readership beats any signing of any size.
Market11 Jan 2027
“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.
The dugout11 Jan 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
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From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad4 Jan 2027
Words exchanged at Ostrovets
Dmitriy Gradoboev and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
The dugout4 Jan 2027
The manager makes an example of Egor Shashko
“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.
Market4 Jan 2027
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
Squad4 Jan 2027
Alexandr Emeljanov falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Squad4 Jan 2027
The demotion a club never announces and a dressing room always notices. Alexandr Emeljanov is further from the side than he was, and the reason will not be given until he asks.
Boardroom4 Jan 2027
The accounts make uncomfortable reading. Wages first and ambition second is the order of business at Ostrovets now.
The dugout4 Jan 2027
The manager makes Ivan Mokshin a promise
Nothing in writing and nothing in public: a word about playing time, given face to face at Ostrovets. The team sheets over the next month will show whether it was worth having.
The dugout4 Jan 2027
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Market4 Jan 2027
Contract settled, hands shaken, no fee changing hands. Artem Kilyimanov leaves Ostrovets the quiet way, and the wage bill breathes a little easier.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad28 Dec 2026
A row about effort at Ostrovets
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Dmitriy Gradoboev was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Boardroom28 Dec 2026
Wages swallow 175% of the Ostrovets income
Every club 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 it has been tried.
Squad28 Dec 2026
Artem Davidovich and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Squad28 Dec 2026
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Ivan Novik commits to Ostrovets for another 3 years.
Market28 Dec 2026
It is the least glamorous business a club does and the reason seasons do not collapse in February. Ivan Novik is here for the weeks when three men are injured and somebody still has to play.
The dugout28 Dec 2026
A conversation in the manager’s office, and a commitment that came out of it. Promises like that are cheap to make and expensive to break, and Alexandr Emeljanov has written the date down.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market21 Dec 2026
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Ostrovets is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Squad21 Dec 2026
Dmitriy Gradoboev falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout21 Dec 2026
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Alexandr Emeljanov, and the manager let it.
Squad21 Dec 2026
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Ostrovets this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad21 Dec 2026
“The easiest signature of my career.” Daniil Turischev and Ostrovets agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Market21 Dec 2026
It is the least glamorous business a club does and the reason seasons do not collapse in February. Daniil Turischev is here for the weeks when three men are injured and somebody still has to play.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad14 Dec 2026
A row about effort at Ostrovets
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Alexandr Emeljanov was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Squad14 Dec 2026
Ivan Mokshin was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Market14 Dec 2026
The academy exists for exactly this morning. Ihar Shikavka has come through every age group the club runs and has now been handed a senior number, and the people who coached him at twelve will be the proudest in the building.
Market14 Dec 2026
There is no fee, no unveiling and no agent on the steps. Yan Kislyak has been at this club since he was a boy and is now, formally, one of the first-team squad — which for a local readership beats any signing of any size.
The dugout14 Dec 2026
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
The dugout14 Dec 2026
Alexandr Krotov asks for a word with the manager
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
The dugout7 Dec 2026
Artem Gonzhurov: that is not what I was promised
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Ostrovets have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Squad7 Dec 2026
Words at Ostrovets training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Dmitriy Gradoboev 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.
Squad7 Dec 2026
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Ostrovets this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Market7 Dec 2026
Dmitry Serdyukov is 20, and Ostrovets 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.
The dugout7 Dec 2026
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Ostrovets, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The dugout7 Dec 2026
The manager makes an example of Vladislav Drozd
“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.
Squad7 Dec 2026
He used to be one of the options. He is now one of the men the options are picked around, and the change happened quietly enough that only the dressing room noticed on the day.
The dugout7 Dec 2026
Nothing in writing and nothing in public: a word about playing time, given face to face at Ostrovets. The team sheets over the next month will show whether it was worth having.
Market7 Dec 2026
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
The dugout30 Nov 2026
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Ostrovets may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Squad30 Nov 2026
Dmitriy Gradoboev was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad30 Nov 2026
Words at Ostrovets training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Gleb Krivtsov 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.
Boardroom30 Nov 2026
Wages eat 179% of everything Ostrovets earn
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.
The dugout30 Nov 2026
The manager makes an example of Ivan Mokshin
“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.
The dugout30 Nov 2026
The manager makes Egor Shashko a promise
Nothing in writing and nothing in public: a word about playing time, given face to face at Ostrovets. The team sheets over the next month will show whether it was worth having.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market23 Nov 2026
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Artem Kilyimanov will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Ostrovets the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Squad23 Nov 2026
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Ostrovets this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad23 Nov 2026
Words at Ostrovets training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Alexandr Emeljanov 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.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad16 Nov 2026
Words exchanged at Ostrovets
Alexandr Emeljanov and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Squad16 Nov 2026
Words at Ostrovets training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Dmitriy Gradoboev 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 dugout16 Nov 2026
“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.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad9 Nov 2026
Words exchanged at Ostrovets
Dmitriy Gradoboev and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Squad9 Nov 2026
A row about effort at Ostrovets
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Gleb Krivtsov was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Market9 Nov 2026
The academy exists for exactly this morning. Valery Laptev has come through every age group the club runs and has now been handed a senior number, and the people who coached him at twelve will be the proudest in the building.
The dugout9 Nov 2026
The manager makes an example of Egor Shashko
“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.
Market9 Nov 2026
“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.
The dugout9 Nov 2026
He asked about his future and was given an answer with minutes in it. The manager has now made a promise in a building where promises are remembered, and the clock on it has started.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad2 Nov 2026
A row about effort at Ostrovets
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Alexandr Emeljanov was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Boardroom2 Nov 2026
Wages eat 179% of everything Ostrovets earn
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.
Market2 Nov 2026
“We keep meeting, and we keep leaving the room with the same numbers we walked in with.” Another round of talks at Ostrovets, another week without a signature from Alexandr Emeljanov.
Squad2 Nov 2026
7 new faces, and Ostrovets are still learning each other
A squad rebuilt inside one window pays for it in a currency nobody budgets for. The football is not worse than the sum of the players; it is worse than the sum of the players who have played together before.
Squad2 Nov 2026
Artem Kilyimanov was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
The dugout2 Nov 2026
German Zhernosek asks for a word with the manager
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
The dugout26 Oct 2026
Alexandr Krotov: that is not what I was promised
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Ostrovets have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Market26 Oct 2026
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Artem Kilyimanov will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Ostrovets the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Squad26 Oct 2026
A row about effort at Ostrovets
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Dmitriy Gradoboev was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
The dugout19 Oct 2026
Ivan Mokshin: that is not what I was promised
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Ostrovets have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Squad19 Oct 2026
A row about effort at Ostrovets
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Dmitriy Gradoboev was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Squad19 Oct 2026
Ivan Mokshin was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
The dugout19 Oct 2026
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Alexandr Krotov trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
The dugout19 Oct 2026
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Ilya Yurkevich, and the manager let it.
The dugout19 Oct 2026
A conversation in the manager’s office, and a commitment that came out of it. Promises like that are cheap to make and expensive to break, and Alexandr Emeljanov has written the date down.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
The dugout12 Oct 2026
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Squad12 Oct 2026
Words exchanged at Ostrovets
Dmitriy Gradoboev and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Squad12 Oct 2026
Words at Ostrovets training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Alexandr Emeljanov 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.
Market12 Oct 2026
There is no fee, no unveiling and no agent on the steps. Yahor Pavlov has been at this club since he was a boy and is now, formally, one of the first-team squad — which for a local readership beats any signing of any size.
Market12 Oct 2026
The academy exists for exactly this morning. Uladzislau Pavlov has come through every age group the club runs and has now been handed a senior number, and the people who coached him at twelve will be the proudest in the building.
The dugout12 Oct 2026
Egor Shashko gets it from the manager
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Market12 Oct 2026
Ivan Golomako is 20, and Ostrovets 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.
Market12 Oct 2026
“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.
The dugout12 Oct 2026
Nothing in writing and nothing in public: a word about playing time, given face to face at Ostrovets. The team sheets over the next month will show whether it was worth having.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad5 Oct 2026
“The easiest signature of my career.” Dmitriy Gradoboev and Ostrovets agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Squad5 Oct 2026
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Ostrovets this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad5 Oct 2026
A row about effort at Ostrovets
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Dmitriy Gradoboev was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Boardroom5 Oct 2026
242% of the income goes out in wages at Ostrovets
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.
Squad5 Oct 2026
Ostrovets are still strangers to each other
18 new signings in one window. Every one may be an upgrade and the side can still be worse for a while, which is the part of a rebuild the verdicts never mention.
The dugout5 Oct 2026
He asked about his future and was given an answer with minutes in it. The manager has now made a promise in a building where promises are remembered, and the clock on it has started.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market28 Sep 2026
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Ostrovets they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Boardroom28 Sep 2026
There is no worse way to lose a footballer. Artem Kilyimanov has pre-agreed a move away, which means every appearance between now and June is made by a man the club can no longer sell, and somebody upstairs will be asked why the contract was allowed to get here.
Squad28 Sep 2026
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Ostrovets this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad28 Sep 2026
Words at Ostrovets training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Gleb Krivtsov 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 dugout28 Sep 2026
Nothing in writing and nothing in public: a word about playing time, given face to face at Ostrovets. The team sheets over the next month will show whether it was worth having.
The dugout28 Sep 2026
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Ostrovets, and both men came out saying it was fine.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad21 Sep 2026
Dmitriy Gradoboev and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Transfer targets21 Sep 2026
Not now, not at any price the club was prepared to say out loud. Torpedo-BelAZ have kept their man, and Ostrovets go back to a list with one name crossed off it.
The dugout21 Sep 2026
The manager makes an example of Artem Gonzhurov
“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.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Boardroom14 Sep 2026
Deadline passes with 22 signed and 0 gone
That is the business done at Ostrovets until the window opens again. Whether it was enough will be answered on Saturdays rather than in a column, and the first Saturday is close.
Market14 Sep 2026
The fee was agreed and the flight was looked at — and then the phone stopped ringing. Slavia Mozyr moved on, Artem Kilyimanov reports back to Ostrovets, and everybody pretends Monday is just Monday.
Transfer targets14 Sep 2026
Not now, not at any price the club was prepared to say out loud. Lokomotiv Gomel have kept their man, and Ostrovets go back to a list with one name crossed off it.
Squad14 Sep 2026
Words at Ostrovets training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Dmitriy Gradoboev 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.
Market14 Sep 2026
“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.
The dugout14 Sep 2026
Ivan Mokshin gets it from the manager
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad14 Sep 2026
Vladislav Kibak arrived with a record at a bigger club than this one, and the room has treated him accordingly. The young ones watch him train; the senior ones watch to see whether it lasts.
The dugout14 Sep 2026
He asked about his future and was given an answer with minutes in it. The manager has now made a promise in a building where promises are remembered, and the clock on it has started.
Squad14 Sep 2026
Questions about Egor Mikhey on the training pitch
The standards have slipped, and in a building where everybody watches everybody it has not gone unremarked. This is how a player loses a place before he loses one.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad7 Sep 2026
A row about effort at Ostrovets
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Dmitriy Gradoboev was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Squad7 Sep 2026
Ivan Mokshin and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
The dugout7 Sep 2026
The manager makes an example of Egor Shashko
“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.
Market7 Sep 2026
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
Squad7 Sep 2026
19 new faces, and Ostrovets are still learning each other
A squad rebuilt inside one window pays for it in a currency nobody budgets for. The football is not worse than the sum of the players; it is worse than the sum of the players who have played together before.
Transfer targets7 Sep 2026
Lokomotiv Gomel have been asked whether they would lend him. Loans are agreed quickly or not at all, and this one will be one or the other by the weekend.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match29 Aug 2026
Orsha will want this one forgotten quickly: 3‑0, every duel lost, and a long ride home. Ostrovets were ruthless in the way good sides are ruthless.
Player ratings31 Aug 2026
A brace, and Nikita Yakimovich takes the afternoon — 8.70
There is a particular kind of quiet from an away end watching one man score twice. Nikita Yakimovich provided it, and the 8.70 beside his name is if anything generous to everybody else.
Player ratings31 Aug 2026
Daniil Tsyk, 20, plays like he has been here for years — 7.97
A mark of 7.97 means one thing beside a twenty-nine-year-old's name and something else entirely beside a 20-year-old's. Nobody at the ground needed telling which this was.
Transfer targets31 Aug 2026
Not now, not at any price the club was prepared to say out loud. Minsk have kept their man, and Ostrovets go back to a list with one name crossed off it.
Squad31 Aug 2026
Words exchanged at Ostrovets
Ivan Mokshin and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
The terraces31 Aug 2026
He is 22 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.
The dugout31 Aug 2026
“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 ratings31 Aug 2026
Kirill Goncharik was on a different afternoon to everybody else
8.08. There are performances a supporter describes to somebody who was not there and cannot quite convey; this was one, and the number does not help either.
The dugout31 Aug 2026
The view from the dugout
“We controlled it. There were spells I did not like and we will look at them, but the group showed me something.” Mikalai Filipenko, on a 3‑0 win that he was already picking apart on the walk to the press room.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Player ratings24 Aug 2026
Successful dribbles: 24. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Match22 Aug 2026
No end in sight to Ostrovets's wait for a win
4 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Ostrovets has to find a result from somewhere.
Transfer targets24 Aug 2026
Ostrovets asked and Torpedo-BelAZ said no without discussing a figure. It is the least ambiguous answer in football and the one clubs most often come back to test.
Squad24 Aug 2026
A row about effort at Ostrovets
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Dmitriy Gradoboev was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Match22 Aug 2026
1‑2 to Lokomotiv Gomel, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.
The dugout24 Aug 2026
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Dmitriy Gradoboev, and the manager let it.
Match22 Aug 2026
The goal that put Lokomotiv Gomel ahead was still being replayed on the concourse when Ostrovets equalised, 2 minutes later. Leads are only worth what you do with them.
Market24 Aug 2026
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
The dugout24 Aug 2026
The view from the dugout
“We will look at it, we will learn from it, and we go again.” The three sentences every manager keeps for a 1‑2 defeat, delivered by Mikalai Filipenko to a room that had heard them before.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match12 Aug 2026
Minsk ended it 0‑1. The season narrows to the league now, and everyone in the ground knew it before the final whistle.
Squad17 Aug 2026
Words exchanged at Ostrovets
Dmitriy Gradoboev and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Match15 Aug 2026
Ostrovets cannot find the net
3 games without scoring. Strikers stop looking up, midfielders take the extra touch, and every shot that clears the bar is followed by a groan that has been building since the last goal.
Squad17 Aug 2026
Words at Ostrovets training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Gleb Krivtsov 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 dugout17 Aug 2026
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Egor Mikhey, and the manager let it.
Squad17 Aug 2026
No place for Alexey Semenov in the new shape
He is not being dropped. There is simply nowhere in the formation Ostrovets are playing to put a man who does what he does, which is a harder thing to be told than any team sheet.
Market17 Aug 2026
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
Market17 Aug 2026
Oleg Petrovskiy is 20, and Ostrovets 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.
The dugout17 Aug 2026
“It is not the end of the world and it is not good enough. Both of those are true.” The manager, after a 0‑0 draw, said the honest thing and then went to say it again inside.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Transfer targets10 Aug 2026
The deal with Dinamo Minsk is done in every sense but the one that puts him on the pitch. Nothing goes wrong at this stage, except on the occasions when it does.
Transfer targets10 Aug 2026
The clubs had agreed and the player had not. A snub, and a public one: another club keep him, and the supporters here are left wondering what he had heard about the place.
Squad10 Aug 2026
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Ostrovets this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Player ratings10 Aug 2026
Successful dribbles: 21. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
The terraces10 Aug 2026
He is 22 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.
Market10 Aug 2026
The academy exists for exactly this morning. Dzmitry Noyok has come through every age group the club runs and has now been handed a senior number, and the people who coached him at twelve will be the proudest in the building.
Market10 Aug 2026
The academy exists for exactly this morning. Ruslan Gordeichuk has come through every age group the club runs and has now been handed a senior number, and the people who coached him at twelve will be the proudest in the building.
Market10 Aug 2026
The academy exists for exactly this morning. Valery Signevich has come through every age group the club runs and has now been handed a senior number, and the people who coached him at twelve will be the proudest in the building.
Market10 Aug 2026
There is no fee, no unveiling and no agent on the steps. Raman Hleb has been at this club since he was a boy and is now, formally, one of the first-team squad — which for a local readership beats any signing of any size.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad3 Aug 2026
“The easiest signature of my career.” Egor Mikhey and Ostrovets agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Squad3 Aug 2026
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Ostrovets this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Transfer targets3 Aug 2026
Not now, not at any price the club was prepared to say out loud. Gomel have kept their man, and Ostrovets go back to a list with one name crossed off it.
Squad3 Aug 2026
Words at Ostrovets training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Dmitriy Gradoboev 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.
Squad3 Aug 2026
He is not being dropped. There is simply nowhere in the formation Ostrovets are playing to put a man who does what he does, which is a harder thing to be told than any team sheet.
Market3 Aug 2026
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
Market3 Aug 2026
49 months to run and not a word offered. A club that lets the calendar negotiate for it usually ends up losing to the calendar.
Transfer targets3 Aug 2026
A loan enquiry to Dinamo Brest: cover, or a look at somebody the club cannot afford to buy yet. Either way the answer will come back inside the week.
Transfer targets3 Aug 2026
A loan enquiry to Dinamo Minsk: cover, or a look at somebody the club cannot afford to buy yet. Either way the answer will come back inside the week.