Former player for BATE, Milan, Sporting, and the Belarus national team, Vitaly Kutuzov, says football’s popularity in his homeland is at an all-time low, a stark contrast to the reverence afforded European players in Russia.
— In Russia, almost every football player who has played in Europe is extremely popular. How famous are you now in Belarus?
— I am modest about my successes, especially since the past does not exist. I try to look forward, and my book “In the Flow of the Wave” and interviews – to keep all this in the memory of the people who were next to me. Popularity itself doesn’t interest me much. Yes, some are interested in me, others are nostalgic, especially against the backdrop of the current difficulties in the Belarusian football industry. Everything is really complicated there, there’s not a lot of rainbows there. And, of course, many remember me, Valentin Belkevich, Sasha Gleb and other guys. And I try to be open. In addition, I can look at some processes from a different angle, feel something that others cannot. I try to share my experience.
Belarusian Football Faces an Existential Crisis
Table of Contents
The current state of football in Belarus is deeply concerning, with a significant decline in both talent development and public interest.
— What is the main problem of Belarusian football now?
— Football in Belarus began to stagnate a long time ago, this is the story of the last 30 years. We have stopped generating football players, we don’t have stars like Gleb. And this became a big problem. Those players who could do something left, and no one came to replace them. Each of them tries in their own way, but this is not the same level – the system has stopped producing truly talented and promising young football players. The coaches are also stewing in their own cauldron – we are stagnant, we lack perspective.
Kutuzov points to a 30-year stagnation in player development as the core issue. Belarus has struggled to produce the next generation of stars, leaving a void since players like Sasha Gleb departed. The outflow of talent, coupled with a failing system to nurture new players, has created a concerning cycle of decline.
– What should we do about it?
— Modify processes. The popularity of football in the country is now probably the lowest in history. 30 years ago people loved football, but now they don’t. If boys don’t go to school, this becomes a huge problem for generating new personnel. Maybe this system will give birth to someone, but if there is no mass participation, the likelihood of this is several times lower. The popularity of football gives birth to everything: attendance, financial well-being, the emergence of new high-quality youth, the opportunity to attract a better coach to the national team, a good player to the club,
The solution, according to Kutuzov, lies in systemic change. A revival of grassroots participation is crucial, as dwindling youth enrollment directly impacts the pipeline of future talent. Increased popularity would, in turn, fuel financial stability, attract better coaching, and ultimately elevate the quality of Belarusian football.
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Photo: Boris SAMKOVICH
