Scotland's World Cup Qualifier Against Belarus to Be Held in Hungary
Scotland's World Cup qualifier against Belarus on Monday will be held on neutral ground in Hungary, but the Tartan Army will not be in attendance.
The match is scheduled to take place at the ZTE Arena in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary.
So, why is Belarus barred from hosting home matches?
UEFA Sanction
Belarus has faced sanctions due to its support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This has led to calls for a ban on Belarusian teams from competing in UEFA competitions, similar to restrictions placed on all senior Russian teams since March 2022.
In March of that year, UEFA announced that all Belarusian clubs and national teams would have to play their home matches at neutral venues and behind closed doors, with no fans allowed.
Why Hungary?
Following the UEFA sanctions, the Football Federation of Belarus was tasked with finding an appropriate stadium for their matches, and they selected Zalaegerszeg, located approximately 227 km from Budapest, the capital of Hungary.
The ZTE Arena is also set to host the World Cup qualifier between Belarus and Denmark in October, though the venue for the match against Greece in November has yet to be determined.
Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill remarked that playing at the ZTE Arena felt reminiscent of fixtures played during the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that the absence of a crowd diminished the intensity typically associated with such matches.
Tartan Army Reaction
The exclusion of fans in Zalaegerszeg means that the Tartan Army will only be able to support their team during two away matches in the World Cup qualifying campaign: the group opener against Denmark in Copenhagen on September 5 and the penultimate match against Greece on November 15.
John Bleasdale of The Tartan Army Magazine expressed that it feels as though Scotland's fans have been unfairly punished. He added, "However, one could argue that Belarusian fans are also suffering consequences for circumstances beyond their control. It’s a challenging situation where, unfortunately, the fans are the ones who lose out."
How to Watch Belarus vs. Scotland
The match between Belarus and Scotland will be broadcast and streamed on BBC iPlayer and BBC One Scotland starting at 19:30 BST. Live radio commentary will commence on BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Sounds at 19:40 BST, with Gaelic commentary available on BBC Radio Nan Gaidheal for Scotland's home games.
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