Belarusian national football team player detained in Lithuania

A player of the Belarusian national football team and of a Lithuanian club “Kaunas” Aleh Strahanovich was detained in the state of intoxication at the Belarusian-Lithuanian border on the train “Minsk-Vilnius”, reported a blog on March 12. Anticipating a scandal, we found the author of the post - a livejournal user kauboj, who really travelled to Vilnius on the same train as Aleh Strahanovich and Viachaslau Hleb (another Belarusian player of “Kaunas”) did. According to kauboj, the football players kept drinking something really strong paying no attention to other passengers all the way.

Witness: “Belarusian customs officers recognized them and did not pronounce any warning, but Lithuanians found them at the frontier point Kyana and started asking questions. The players replied using bad language. They stated they were travelling to play for “Kaunas” but the customs officers must have been fans of Žalgiris”.

As a result the half-back of the Belarusian national team Aleh Strahanovich was made to get off the train. Viachaslau Hleb calmed down and did not try to protect his friend. It was extremely difficult to have the information confirmed.

It was a free day in Lithuania yesterday – our North neighbours were having a rest after the celebration of the Day of Reestablishment of Lithuania's Independence that had taken place on March 11.

ERB journalists phoned Lithuanian customs officers and officials many times and managed to talk to Sigitas Shukauskas, head of the frontier point Kyana, assistant of the department of Lithuanian Republic frontier protection in Mitskunai.

Sigitas Shukauskas: “Aleh Stra-ha-novich? News is like that: he was jogging the conductor and making threats in the state of intoxication… They turned to us. We made him get off the train and took him to the sobering-up station. There was some conflict. But his documents were ok”.

Mr. Shukauskas said that there was 1.8 ppm of alcohol in the blood of Aleh Strahanovich at the moment of detention. It corresponds to 400 grams of vodka.

Witness: “There is a duty-free at the frontier point.… “Strah” shouldn’t have gone to the duty-free… But the player’s ability to be steady on his legs after having drunk so much can’t but win admiration”.

Let’s hope that our half-back will show that much steadiness during the elimination match of the European Championship 2008 against the team of Luxemburg.

Yury Puntus has called Aleh Strahanovich and Viachaslau Hleb to take part in this match witch is to take place on March 24…

We are ashamed to admit that Yury Iosifavich had not known anything about our player’s adventures at the Belarusian-Lithuanian border until we phoned him.

Yury Puntus: “Nobody informed me… He is training in Kaunas and that is why it’s a bit hard to believe it! Thank you for the information but I will not give any comments because… I will talk to the players and find it out and then it will be…”

They say that “Kaunas” is only a step to a more important transfer to Edinburgh “Hearts” for both Hleb and Aleh Stahanovich. But to have the right to play in the Scottish Premier League Belarusian players should have a certain number of matches played for the national team of their country.

That is why the “sportsmen” will most likely participate in the match against Luxemburg. Let’s wish them good luck… But I will not be surprised if the national team of Luxemburg wins.