Belarus spirits raised by Hleb visit

Belarus were given a timely boost ahead of their key match against France at the UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship when one of the nation's favourite sons Aleksandr Hleb paid them a visit.

'The best girls'
The FC Barcelona winger joined the team at their hotel in Minsk to offer words of advice and encouragement on the eve of the hosts' Group A showdown in Borisov, spending almost an hour answering questions from players before posing for photos and signing shirts. Hleb appeared to enjoy the meeting almost as much as the players, who were ecstatic, evidently raising spirits in the camp. "It is a very important game for Belarus and I really want our girls to win," the 28-year-old told uefa.com. "It was so nice to come and see them and to speak with them. They were happy to see me, but this is very important to me as well. Our girls are the best girls in the world!"

Secret advice
The six-time Belarusian Player of the Year was more coy when asked about the pointers he gave the players. "Yes, I did give the girls some advice but what I said is a secret," he said. "I haven't seen them play yet but I will go to Borisov to see them against France and I want to see a big win. This is very important." Appearing in the finals for the first time, Belarus struggled in their opening match, losing 4-1 to Switzerland but did improve in the second half. After taking on France, they play five-time champions Germany in their final group game on 19 July.