1998 Belarusian Premier League


Belarusian Premier League 1998 was the eighth season of top-tier football in Belarus. It started on April 12 and ended on October 31, 1998. Dinamo Minsk were the defending champions.

Team changes from 1997 season

Two worst teams of the last season relegated to the First League. They were replaced by two best clubs of 1996 First League.
In the early days of January it was announced that Transmash Mogilev ceased to exist as an independent club merged with Dnepr Mogilev. Ataka Minsk, who suffered heavy financial troubles, let go all their senior team players and failed to confirm their participation in the new season by a deadline in early March. A week later BFF announced that Ataka Minsk were excluded from the league and that two vacant places are being filled by Torpedo-Kadino Mogilev and Shakhtyor Soligorsk, both of whom were spared from relegation.
Before the start of the season, MPKC Mozyr changed their name to Slavia Mozyr.

Overview

won their 1st champions title and qualified for the next season's Champions League. The championship runners-up BATE Borisov as well as bronze medalists and 1998–99 Cup winners Belshina Bobruisk qualified for UEFA Cup. Kommunalnik Slonim finished on last, 15th place and relegated to First League. Dinamo-93 Minsk dissolved and withdrew from the championship after 15 rounds. They were excluded from the final table and their results were annulled.

Teams and venues

TeamLocationVenueCapacityPosition in 1997
Dinamo MinskMinskDinamo, Minsk41,0401
BelshinaBobruiskSpartak, Bobruisk3,5502
Lokomotiv-96VitebskCentral, Vitebsk8,3003
Dnepr-TransmashMogilevSpartak, Mogilev11,2004
Dinamo-93MinskDinamo, Minsk41,0405
SlaviaMozyrYunost, Mozyr5,5006
Dinamo BrestBrestDinamo, Brest10,0807
TorpedoMinskTorpedo, Minsk5,2008
Naftan-DevonNovopolotskAtlant6,5009
NemanGrodnoNeman6,30010
KommunalnikSlonimYunost, Slonim3,00011
MolodechnoMolodechnoCity Stadium, Molodechno5,50013
Torpedo-KadinoMogilevTorpedo, Mogilev3,50015
ShakhtyorSoligorskStroitel5,00016
GomelGomelCentral, Gomel11,800First league, 1
BATEBorisovCity Stadium, Borisov5,500First league, 2

Table

Belarusian clubs in European Cups

Top scorers