UEFA.com works better on other browsers
For the best possible experience, we recommend using Chrome, Firefox or Microsoft Edge.

Stange stamps authority on Belarus

Bernd Stange has left Vitali Kutuzov, Aleksandr Kulchiy and Vitali Bulyga out of the Belarus squad for his first competitive games against Romania and Slovenia.

New Belarus coach Bernd Stange has omitted Vitali Kutuzov, Aleksandr Kulchiy and Vitali Bulyga from his squad for his first competitive games against Romania, in Minsk, and Slovenia, in Celje, on 8 and 12 September.

More omissions
With the experienced Sergei Shtaniuk and Sergei Gurenko missing out again, having been omitted from the squad for the 2-1 friendly win against Israel on 22 August, the German coach has overlooked three more big names. "Kulchiy and Bulyga have been left out because they did not turn up for the Israel friendly," said Stange. "If I call up a player and he does not turn up, I lose control. Other guys came in and we beat Israel, who have picked up 17 points in their qualifying group. What should I say? Welcome back Kulchiy, and bye-bye [Igor] Stasevich and [Dmitri] Mozolevskiy?" Kutuzov missed the Israel game as his wife was about to give birth but Stange has left him out, saying: "I am not sure about his form." Aleksandr Yurevich and Yuri Zhevnov are both absent through injury while 19-year-old defender Yegor Filipenko has received his first call-up. Belarus are fifth in UEFA EURO 2008™ Group G with seven points.

Belarus squad
Goalkeepers:
Vasili Khomutovski (FC Tom Tomsk), Vladimir Gaev (FC Chornomorets Odesa), Anton Amelchenko (FC Moskva).

Defenders: Artyom Radkov (FC BATE Borisov), Sergei Omelyanchuk (FC Rostov), Yan Tigorev (FC Metalurh Zaporihya), Pavel Plaskonny (FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk), Yegor Filipenko (FC BATE Borisov).

Midfielders: Vladimir Korythko (FC Chornomorets Odesa), Timofei Kalachev (FC Rostov), Denis Kovba (FC Krylya Sovetov Samara), Aleksandr Hleb (Arsenal FC), Maksim Romashchenko (FC Torpedo Moskva), Nikolai Kashevski (FC Metalurh Zaporizhya), Aleksei Skverniuk (FC Krylya Sovetov Samara), Igor Stasevich (FC BATE Borisov).

Forwards: Sergei Kornilenko (FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Gennadi Bliznyuk (FC BATE Borisov), Roman Vasilyuk (FC Gomel), Vitali Rodionov (FC BATE Borisov), Dmitri Mozolevsky (FC Dinamo Brest).

Selected for you