Players of FC Dinamo Brest demand to pay wages

The economic crisis has hit the sport industry, too.

Many Belarusian club are in a difficult state now, but some are on the verge of catastrophe. Onliner.by received a letter from players of Dinamo Brest football club, who haven't received their wages on time for the last few months. They say the preparation for the new season is impossible. The team already wrote to governor of the Brest region Anatoli Lis, but he didn't reply. “We are now trying to reach the head of the regional executive office through the mass media. If it doesn't help, will go to a court,” representatives of the football club say. Below is their open letter.

“Dear Mr Anatoli Lis! Players, coaches and other employees of FC Dinamo Brest appeal to you in connection with the catastrophic financial situation in our football club. Financial problems began at the beginning of the previous season. In 2014, the debt to employees was from 5 to 8 salaries depending on the employment agreement. We haven't received wages at all in 2015. So, the total debt to players, coaches and other employees of the club is about 7-10 monthly salaries.

The normal work of a professional football club seems impossible in such conditions. The team was on the brink of boycotting official matches of the national championship last year. The preparation for the new season in fact failed. It is the first time for many decades that the team hasn't attended a training camp. The team now lives at Druzhba Hotel and trains at a club, which is just an imitation of a training camp. Such conditions for preparing for the new season can be called a mock.

The club managers set several deadlines to pay off the debt, asking to wait for the sale of the club's office or getting a loan to pay wages. The deadline was February 23. It was then postponed until March 1 and later March 8. No one has paid anything. How are football players supposed to feed their families, pay utility bills, loans and tuition fees?

We find the situation shameful and humiliating. We do not understand why the Brest region's leading football club, a veteran of the Belarusian Premier League, is in such a miserable state. The Brest team has its excellent stadium, football base, traditions, glory and fans. Dinamo Brest is a source of professionals for Belarus's leading clubs. What the football club is likely to have on its 55th birthday is no money, no preparations for the season, financing on the leftover basis and plenty of problems, which will inevitably lead to a decrease in audience's interest, the exodus of more or less promising young players, lawsuits, boycotts of matches, scandalous interviews, strikes and other things that have nothing in common with football.

In view of the above, we urge you to provide the necessary financial aid to Dinamo Brest football club as soon as possible to solve the current difficult situation.

Yours sincerely, players, coaches and other employees of the football club.”