FC Vitebsk earned the right to play in the top league of the national championship next year through playoff matches.

Minsk's "RCOR-BSU" might not have been as tough an opponent as "Belshina" from Bobruisk. In the last round, the "students" brilliantly dealt with "Slavia" from Mozyr 3:1 and got a chance to avoid relegation from the elite division in the form of play-off matches with our team. It is noteworthy that the teams met in the cup this year, and then "Vitebsk" won at home with a score of 1:0. Let's remember these numbers.

The draw determined that the first match would take place in the capital, and the second in the regional center. The Minsk match turned out to be difficult in many respects. The frozen field and the match in sub-zero temperatures frankly ruined the football. "Vitebsk", after an early sending-off for the hosts, had more possession, shot at the goal a bit more actively, and took more corners, but all this did not translate into goals scored. "RCOR–BSU" would not have been particularly pleased with a draw before the match, but after the red card, it was an acceptable result.

On Saturday, the confrontation moved to the city on the Dvina. An even greater minus outside the window forced the management of our team to make a difficult decision to move the match from its usual venue to an air-supported arena. Its capacity is only 300 spectators, so many football fans were warned in advance that they would not be able to attend the match. However, our team was not left without support – albeit not in the largest numbers, the fans actively urged Vitebsk forward.

Already at the end of the fifth minute, the first test of the fans' vocal cords occurred. The visiting defender played carelessly in his penalty area against Yan Skibsky, and the referee pointed to the 11-meter mark. Ruslan Teverov immediately took the ball and showed everyone that he would be the one to take the penalty. The Vitebsk forward's shot was flawless in both power and accuracy.

After scoring, the hosts had several more memorable attacks, but failed to score. The brightest moments were missed by the already mentioned Yan Skibsky and Ruslan Teverov. The price for profligacy almost came in the 61st minute, but the guest legionnaire from Kazakhstan, Abinur Narymbet, failed to properly hit the ball from a couple of meters from an empty net. Seven seconds before the end of regular time, Ruslan Teverov himself forgave the opponent in a golden opportunity.

The last minutes dragged on mercilessly for some and flew by for others. The referee's whistle confirmed a minimal 1-0 victory for Vitebsk. The summer cup result was repeated, but this time the victory has a much more significant effect. The team from the regional center returns to the top division, having earned this promotion in an excellent fight with a good team. Alexander Pavlov, for whom this was his first season as head coach, managed to unite the players into a single striking force after a poor start.

Returning to the spotlight of Belarusian football is an important step for the club's system. In addition to the main squad, the team will form a reserve squad, which will now play in the second league. In the championship, we will face the leaders of domestic football. Who will oppose them in our team is still an open question. Surely, after a good season, many of the "northerners'" leaders will have offers from other clubs, and it is unlikely that all of them can be retained. We also need to think about strengthening. The coaching staff and club management already have a mountain of work to do. However, the main thing is that the season's goal has been achieved – Vitebsk is a top league team.

"Vitbichi"