# 2020 Belarusian Premier League

The 2020 Belarusian Premier League was the 30th season of top-tier football in Belarus. Dynamo Brest were the defending champions, having won their first league title last year. Shakhtyor Soligorsk became champions on the last play date by beating FC Minsk 4–2. Meanwhile, BATE Borisov didn't win and drew 0–0 at Dinamo Minsk so Shaktyor Soligorsk finished 1 point above BATE in the table and will play in the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League.
By late March 2020, it was the only European top-flight league being contested, as all others were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic; games were played with crowds. As a result, this led to substantially increased viewership from all over the world, due to sporting inactivity elsewhere.

## Teams

The 15th-placed team of the last season Gomel was relegated to the 2020 Belarusian First League. Torpedo Minsk were excluded from the league halfway through the last season and will not play in any league in 2020. Gomel and Torpedo were replaced by two best teams of 2019 Belarusian First League (Belshina Bobruisk and Smolevichi).
14-placed team of the last season (Dnyapro Mogilev) were relegated after they lost relegation/promotion playoffs against First League third-placed team Rukh Brest (who were promoted to replace Dnyapro).
| Team | Location | Venue | Capacity | Position in 2019 |
| BATE | Borisov | Borisov Arena | 13,121 | 2nd |
| Belshina | Bobruisk | Spartak Stadium | 3,700 | 1st (First League) |
| Dinamo Brest | Brest | OSK Brestsky | 10,060 | 1st |
| Dinamo Minsk | Minsk | Dinamo Stadium | 22,324 | 4th |
| Energetik-BGU | Minsk | City Stadium (Molodechno) | 4,800 | 12th |
| Gorodeya | Gorodeya | Gorodeya Stadium | 1,625 | 7th |
| Isloch | Minsk Raion | Traktor Stadium | 17,600 | 5th |
| Minsk | Minsk | Traktor Stadium | 17,600 | 10th |
| Neman | Grodno | Neman Stadium | 8,479 | 9th |
| Rukh | Brest | OSK Brestsky | 10,060 | 3rd (First League) |
| Shakhtyor | Soligorsk | Stroitel Stadium | 4,200 | 3rd |
| Slavia | Mozyr | Yunost Stadium | 5,133 | 8th |
| Slutsk | Slutsk | City Stadium (Slutsk) | 1,896 | 11th |
| Smolevichi | Smolevichi | Ozyorny Stadium | 1,600 | 2nd (First League) |
| Torpedo-BelAZ | Zhodino | Torpedo Stadium | 6,524 | 6th |
| Vitebsk | Vitebsk | Vitebsky CSK | 8,144 | 13th |
* ^ One game played at City Stadium in Borisov.
* ^ Two games played at Aleksandr Prokopenko Stadium.
* ^ One game played at Traktor Stadium.
* ^ Energetik-BGU spent the season at City Stadium in Molodechno due to league's requirement to play on natural grass pitch in the summer. In addition, three games played at RCOP-BGU Stadium in Minsk.
* ^ Four games played at FC Minsk Stadium and one game at Dinamo Stadium.
* ^ Two games played at FC Minsk Stadium.
* ^ Six games played at City Stadium in Borisov.

### Personnel

| Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt Sponsor (Chest) |
| BATE Borisov | Aleksandr Lisovskiy | Ihar Stasevich | Adidas | Minsk Tractor Works |
| Belshina Bobruisk | Dmitriy Migas (caretaker) | Sergey Turanok | Joma | Belshina |
| Dynamo Brest | Syarhey Kavalchuk | Aleh Veratsila | Joma | Belavia |
| Dinamo Minsk | Leonid Kuchuk | Edhar Alyakhnovich | Saller | None |
| Energetik-BGU | Vladimir Belyavskiy | Aleksey Nosko | Nike | Belenergo |
| Gorodeya | Oleg Radushko | Igor Dovgyallo | Macron | Gorodeya Sugar Refinery |
| Isloch Minsk Raion | Vitaly Zhukovsky | Dzmitry Kamarowski | Joma | Hyundai |
| Minsk | Vadim Skripchenko | Syarhey Vyeramko | Macron | TASK Insurance |
| Neman Grodno | Igor Kovalevich | Valery Zhukowski | Saller | None |
| Rukh Brest | Aleksandr Sednyov | Artsyom Rakhmanaw | Erreà | Belgosstrakh |
| Shakhtyor Soligorsk | Roman Hryhorchuk | Alyaksandr Hutar | Jako | Belaruskali |
| Slavia Mozyr | Mihail Martsinovich | Mikhail Baranovsky | Joma | Mozyr Oil Refinery |
| Slutsk | Aleksandr Konchits (caretaker) | Barys Pankrataw | Hummel | None |
| Smolevichi | Alexei Mikhailov (caretaker) | Eduard Zhevnerov | Joma | None |
| Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino | Yuri Puntus | Andrey Khachaturyan | Adidas | BelAZ |
| Vitebsk | Sergey Yasinsky | Artsyom Skitaw | Nike | Parimatch |

### Managerial changes

| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
| Dinamo Minsk | Sergei Gurenko | Mutual consent | 20 April 2020 | 12th | Leonid Kuchuk | 22 April 2020 |
| Slutsk | Vitaliy Pavlov | Resigned | 26 June 2020 | 11th | Aleksandr Konchits (caretaker) | 26 June 2020 |
| Belshina | Eduard Gradoboyev | Sacked | 1 July 2020 | 16th | Dmitriy Migas (caretaker) | 1 July 2020 |
| Smolevichi | Aleksandr Brazevich | Resigned | 6 July 2020 | 15th | Alexei Mikhailov (caretaker) | 6 July 2020 |
| Minsk | Andrey Razin | Resigned | 4 August 2020 | 14th | Vadim Skripchenko | 4 August 2020 |
| Shakhtyor Soligorsk | Yuriy Vernydub | Resigned | 31 August 2020 | 1st | Roman Hryhorchuk | 5 September 2020 |

## League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Shakhtyor Soligorsk (C) | 30 | 17 | 8 | 5 | 57 | 21 | +36 | 59 | Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round |
| 2 | BATE Borisov | 30 | 17 | 7 | 6 | 65 | 32 | +33 | 58 | Qualification for the Europa Conference League second qualifying round |
| 3 | Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino | 30 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 55 | 37 | +18 | 56 | Qualification for the Europa Conference League second qualifying round |
| 4 | Dynamo Brest | 30 | 17 | 3 | 10 | 63 | 40 | +23 | 54 | Qualification for the Europa Conference League second qualifying round |
| 5 | Neman Grodno | 30 | 16 | 5 | 9 | 41 | 29 | +12 | 53 | |
| 6 | Dinamo Minsk | 30 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 38 | 25 | +13 | 52 | |
| 7 | Isloch Minsk Raion | 30 | 13 | 6 | 11 | 47 | 46 | +1 | 45 | |
| 8 | Rukh Brest | 30 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 57 | 38 | +19 | 44 | |
| 9 | Slavia Mozyr | 30 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 41 | 49 | −8 | 39 | |
| 10 | Energetik-BGU Minsk | 30 | 11 | 5 | 14 | 43 | 46 | −3 | 38 | |
| 11 | Minsk | 30 | 11 | 5 | 14 | 45 | 57 | −12 | 38 | |
| 12 | Vitebsk | 30 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 30 | 38 | −8 | 36 | |
| 13 | Gorodeya (R) | 30 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 30 | 48 | −18 | 31 | Withdrew from the league |
| 14 | Slutsk (O) | 29 | 8 | 3 | 18 | 31 | 55 | −24 | 27 | Qualification to relegation play-offs |
| 15 | Belshina Bobruisk (R) | 30 | 5 | 6 | 19 | 34 | 71 | −37 | 21 | Relegation to the Belarusian First League |
| 16 | Smolevichi (R) | 29 | 3 | 5 | 21 | 27 | 72 | −45 | 14 | Relegation to the Belarusian First League |
* 1 2 Head-to-head goals scored: Energetik-BGU Minsk 3, Minsk 2
* ↑ Gorodeya withdrew from the league after the end of the season.

## Results

Each team plays home-and-away once against every other team for a total of 30 matches played each.
| Home \ Away | BAT | BSH | DBR | DMI | ENE | GRD | ISL | FCM | NEM | RUH | SHA | SLA | SLU | SML | TZH | VIT |
| BATE Borisov | — | 5–0 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 6–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 5–2 | 0–0 | 3–1 |
| Belshina Bobruisk | 0–2 | — | 0–3 | 0–4 | 1–5 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 3–7 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 |
| Dynamo Brest | 1–3 | 1–2 | — | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 6–1 | 3–1 | 5–2 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–0 |
| Dinamo Minsk | 0–0 | 3–1 | 2–4 | — | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 |
| Energetik-BGU Minsk | 3–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–3 | — | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–8 | 1–2 | 5–0 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 1–4 | 3–3 |
| Gorodeya | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–4 | 1–0 | 1–1 | — | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 |
| Isloch Minsk Raion | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | — | 3–4 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–1 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 |
| Minsk | 0–3 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 0–1 | — | 4–3 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–5 | 2–2 |
| Neman Grodno | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | — | 2–4 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 |
| Rukh Brest | 0–3 | 3–0 | 1–4 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–3 | — | 1–2 | 3–3 | 5–0 | 0–0 | 3–3 | 0–1 |
| Shakhtyor Soligorsk | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 4–0 | 4–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | — | 2–0 | 1–2 | 4–0 | 0–1 | 5–0 |
| Slavia Mozyr | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 1–0 | — | 3–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 |
| Slutsk | 1–3 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–1 | — | – | 1–1 | 1–1 |
| Smolevichi | 3–5 | 0–3 | 3–3 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 1–4 | 0–6 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 2–1 | — | 1–4 | 0–1 |
| Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino | 3–2 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–4 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 2–1 | — | 1–0 |
| Vitebsk | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–3 | — |

## Relegation play-offs

The 14th-place finisher of this season (Slutsk) were played a two-legged relegation play-off against the third-placed team of the 2020 Belarusian First League (Krumkachy Minsk) for a spot in the 2021 Premier League.
Leg 1
Leg 2

## Season statistics
### Top goalscorers

Updated to games played on 1 November 2020 Source: football.by
| Rank | Goalscorer | Team | Goals |
| 1. | Maksim Skavysh | BATE Borisov | 17 |
| 2. | Jasurbek Yakhshiboev | Energetik-BGU/Shakhytor | 16 |
| 3. | Pavel Nyakhaychyk | BATE Borisov | 10 |
| 3. | Gabriel Ramos | Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino | 10 |
| 3. | Yevgeniy Shikavka | Dinamo Minsk | 10 |
| 3. | Zoran Marušić | Neman Grodno | 10 |
| 3. | Pavel Savitski | Dinamo Brest | 10 |
| 8. | Gegham Kadymyan | Neman Grodno | 9 |
| 8. | Leonid Kovel | Belshina Bobruisk | 9 |
| 8. | Dzyanis Laptsew | Dynamo Brest | 9 |
| 8. | Vitaly Lisakovich | Shakhytor Soligorsk | 9 |
| 8. | Ion Nicolaescu | Vitebsk | 9 |
| 8. | Mikalay Yanush | Isloch Minsk Raion | 9 |

### Hat-tricks

| Player | For | Against | Result | Date |
| Valery Gorbachik | Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino | FC Minsk | 5–2 (A) | 2 May 2020 |
| Zoran Marušić | Neman Grodno | Slavia Mozyr | 3–1 (A) | 6 June 2020 |
| Artem Kontsevoy | Rukh Brest | Energetyk-BGU | 8–1 (A) | 12 July 2020 |
| Abdoulaye Diallo | Dynamo Brest | Dinamo Minsk | 4–2 (A) | 12 September 2020 |
| Jasurbek Yakhshiboev | Shakhtyor Soligorsk | Belshina Bobruisk | 5–1 (A) | 31 October 2020 |

### Disciplinary

Most yellow cards: (10)
* Syarhey Kislyak (Dynamo Brest)
Most red cards: (2)
* Hayk Mosakhanian (Energetik-BGU)
* Gaby Kiki (Dynamo Brest)
* Marat Burayev (Slutsk)
* Aleksandr Svirepa (Energetik-BGU)
* Yevgeniy Yudchits (Energetik-BGU)
* Yury Kazlow (Slutsk)

## Awards
### Weekly awards
#### Player of the Week

Player of The Week :
| Week | Player | Club |
| 1 | Jasurbek Yakhshiboev | Energetik-BGU |
| 2 | Nikita Melnikov | Slavia Mozyr |
| 3 | Mikhail Baranovsky | Slavia Mozyr |
| 4 | Gabriel Ramos | Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino |
| 5 | Barys Pankrataw | Slutsk |
| 6 | Ivan Bakhar | Dinamo Minsk |
| 7 | Valery Gorbachik | Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino |
| 8 | Ihar Stasevich | BATE Borisov |
| 9 | Lipe Veloso | Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino |
| 10 | Dzmitry Padstrelaw | Shakhtyor Soligorsk |
| 11 | Pavel Savitski | Dynamo Brest |
| 12 | Zoran Marušić | Neman Grodno |
| 13 | Kiril Pavlyuchek | Gorodeya |
| 14 | Ihar Kuzmyanok | Isloch |
| 15 | Jasurbek Yakhshiboev | Energetik-BGU |
| 16 | Vitaly Lisakovich | Shakhtyor Soligorsk |
| 17 | Vladislav Lozhkin | Smolevichi |
| 18 | Pavel Nyakhaychyk | BATE Borisov |
| 19 | Ihar Stasevich | BATE Borisov |
| 20 | Mikalay Yanush | Isloch |
| 21 | Dzmitry Rekish | Belshina |
| 22 | Mikalay Yanush | Isloch |

#### Goal of the Week

Goal of The Week :
| Week | Player | Club |
| 1 | Momo Yansane | Isloch Minsk Raion |
| 2 | Gegham Kadymyan | Neman Grodno |
| 3 | Yevgeniy Klopotskiy | Vitebsk |
| 4 | Gegham Kadymyan | Neman Grodno |
| 5 | Pavel Sedko | Rukh Brest |
| 6 | Vladislav Zhuk | Slavia Mozyr |
| 7 | Vitaly Lisakovich | Shakhtyor Soligorsk |
| 8 | Gegham Kadymyan | Neman Grodno |
| 9 | Vitaly Lisakovich | Shakhtyor Soligorsk |
| 10 | Dzmitry Padstrelaw | Shakhtyor Soligorsk |
| 11 | Anatol Makaraw | Smolevichi |
| 12 | Aleksandr Ksenofontov | Vitebsk |
| 13 | Yevgeniy Shikavka | Dinamo Minsk |
| 14 | Dennis Tetteh | Slavia Mozyr |
| 15 | Aleksandr Dzhigero | Smolevichi |
| 16 | Vitaly Lisakovich | Shakhtyor Soligorsk |
| 17 | Vladislav Lozhkin | Smolevichi |
| 18 | Lazar Sajčić | Gorodeya |
| 19 | Nikola Antić | Shakhtyor Soligorsk |
| 20 | Dennis Tetteh | Slavia Mozyr |
| 21 | Dzmitry Padstrelaw | Shakhtyor Soligorsk |
| 22 | Pavel Nyakhaychyk | BATE Borisov |

### Monthly awards
#### Manager of the Month

| Month | Manager | Club |
| April | Vitaliy Pavlov | Slutsk |
| May | Kirill Alshevsky | BATE Borisov |
| June | Igor Kovalevich | Neman Grodno |
| July | Yuriy Vernidub | Shakhtyor Soligorsk |
| August | Vitaly Zhukovsky | Isloch Minsk Raion |
| September | Igor Kovalevich | Neman Grodno |

#### Goal of the Month

| Month | Player | Club |
| April | Vladislav Zhuk | Slavia Mozyr |
| May | Gegham Kadymyan | Neman Grodno |
| June | Aleksandr Dzhigero | Smolevichi |
| July | Vitaly Lisakovich | Shakhtyor Soligorsk |
| August | Dzmitry Padstrelaw | Shakhtyor Soligorsk |
| September | Lipe Veloso | Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino |

#### Player of the Month

| Month | Player | Club |
| April | Gabriel Ramos | Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino |
| May | Vitaly Lisakovich | Shakhtyor Soligorsk |
| June | Dzyanis Laptsew | Dynamo Brest |
| July | Nikola Antić | Shakhtyor Soligorsk |
| August | Mikalay Yanush | Isloch Minsk Raion |
| September | Zoran Marušić | Neman Grodno |