On 27 August 2008 BATE Borisov made it through to the final round of the Champions League for the first time in club history, and the Belarusian club couldn't have asked for a tougher European debut than a visit to the Santiago Bernabeu to play nine-time winner, Real Madrid.
With 21 matches already played, BATE Borisov hold a two-point lead in the Belarusian league table with a record of 13 victories, eight draws, and no defeats. Their last match resulted in a 2-1 win over Naftan, with goals by Blizniuk and Mirchev.
On 7 September, the side qualified for the semifinals of the Belarusian Cup by eliminating Second League underdog Neman Mosty and is now just four wins away from their second Cup title.
Coach Viktor Goncharenko game plan calls for a 4-4-2 formation. Bliznyuk leads the team is scoring with 12 goals in 21 matches. With a seating capacity of just 5,500, Horodskiy Stadium, does not meet UEFA standards. The team will therefore have to host its home Champions League matches in Minsk.
The road to the final stage wasn't easy, but BATE was able to eliminate Valur (Iceland), Anderlecht (Belgium) and Levski Sofia (Bulgaria). They now debut on a more global stage against powerhouses of the likes of Real Madrid, Juventus, and Zenit.
FC BATE was founded in 1973 under the name Berezina Borisov, a three-time champion in the SSR Belarusian League champion. The club was re-established in 1996, at which point it took its current name, FC BATE Borisov.
The team made their Belarusian Premier League debut in 1998 and finished as runner-up. They won their first league title one year later and again in 2002, 2006, and 2007.
Notable players such as Alexander Hleb, Vitali Kutuzov, and Yuri Zhevnov began their careers at BATE and were the driving force behind the ousting of Dinamo Minsk as Belarusian League heavyweight.
Real Madrid Press
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
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