1997 Belarusian Premier League


The 1997 Belarusian Premier League was the seventh season of top-tier football in Belarus. It started on April 11 and ended on November 11, 1997. MPKC Mozyr were the defending champions.

Team changes from 1996 season

Obuvshchik Lida and Vedrich Rechytsa, placed 15th and 16th respectively, relegated to the First League. They were replaced by two newcomers: 1996 First League winners Transmash Mogilev and runners-up Kommunalnik Slonim. Ataka-Aura Minsk shortened their name to Ataka Minsk

Overview

Dinamo Minsk won their 6th champions title and qualified for the next season's Champions League. The championship runners-up Belshina Bobruisk qualified for UEFA Cup. Bronze medalists and 1997–98 Cup winners Lokomotiv-96 Vitebsk qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup. Originally Torpedo-Kadino Mogilev and Shakhtyor Soligorsk, placed 15th and 16th respectively, were supposed to be relegated to the First League. However, after Ataka Minsk withdrew from Premier League due to bad financial state and two Mogilev teams Dnepr and Transmash merged to form FC Dnepr-Transmash Mogilev, both Shakhtyor and Torpedo-Kadino were allowed to stay in the Premier League.

Teams and venues

TeamLocationVenueCapacityPosition in 1996
MPKC MozyrMozyrYunost Stadium (Mozyr)6,5001
Dinamo MinskMinskTraktor Stadium25,0002
Belshina BobruiskBobruiskSpartak Stadium (Bobruisk)2,5003
Dinamo-93 MinskMinskTraktor Stadium25,0004
Lokomotiv-96 VitebskVitebskDinamo Stadium (Vitebsk)5,5005
Ataka MinskMinskTraktor Stadium25,0006
Naftan-Devon NovopolotskNovopolotskAtlant Stadium6,5007
MolodechnoMolodechnoCity Stadium (Molodechno)5,5008
Dnepr MogilevMogilevSpartak Stadium (Mogilev)11,2009
Dinamo BrestBrestDinamo Stadium (Brest)2,40010
Shakhtyor SoligorskSoligorskStroitel Stadium5,00011
Torpedo MinskMinskTorpedo Stadium (Minsk)5,00012
Neman GrodnoGrodnoNeman Stadium15,00013
Torpedo-Kadino MogilevMogilevTorpedo Stadium (Mogilev)3,50014
Transmash MogilevMogilevSpartak Stadium (Mogilev)11,200First league, 1
Kommunalnik SlonimSlonimYunost Stadium (Slonim)1,200First league, 2