Why does Belarusian football not stop? The coronavirus does not scare President Alexander Lukashenko

The world of sport is almost completely paralyzed. Almost, in fact. There are 5 currently unsuspended and ongoing football championships: that of Nicaragua, Turkmenistan, Burundi, Myanmar and Belarus (the only European championship). The crisis and psychosis caused by the coronavirus especially in Europe - the main world outbreak at the moment - does not frighten the Belarusian federation, which continues to compete in the most important sports championships in the country: ice hockey and football.

"Dear fans! The Belarusian Football Association invites you to the stadium to support the teams and enjoy the 2020 Super Cup with your own eyes. Admission to the game is free!"

It would also be a commendable marketing initiative to be undertaken by the organizers of the Belarusian Women's Super Cup. Except that the event will be held in the coming days, in full coronavirus emergency. What is it, then, that does not frighten the Belarusians and the leaders of the organizations that manage championships and sporting events? The answer has a name and surname: Aleksandr Grigor'evič Lukašenko.

We joke about Aleksandr Hleb, ex Barcelona and Stuttgart and today FK Isloch Minsk Raion players: "In Belarus nobody cares [about the virus], everyone here knows what is going on in Italy and Spain. It doesn't look any good, but in our country the people of the presidential administration believe that it is not as extreme as the numbers say. Maybe Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will come here to Belarus to continue playing".

The most daunting aspect concerns UEFA, an entity so important that, however, it has its hands tied on every federal decision. In recent days, an official note has been issued which clearly explains that "each national federation is autonomous and makes decisions regarding its national competitions based on the recommendations and decisions taken by the respective national authorities".