2004 Belarusian Premier League


Belarusian Premier League 2004 was the 14th season of top-tier football in Belarus. It started on April 15 and ended on November 11, 2004. Gomel were the defending champions.

Team changes from 2003 season

Two lowest placed teams in 2003 relegated and were replaced by two best teams from 2003 First League: newcomers MTZ-RIPO Minsk and Lokomotiv Vitebsk, who previously competed in Premiere League as KIM, Dvina and Lokomotiv-96 and is a different team from Lokomotiv Vitebsk, who relegated to First League in 1995 and after a few seasons in First and Second Leagues was disbanded in late 2000.

Overview

won their 7th champions title and qualified for the next season's Champions League. The championship runners-up BATE Borisov and 2004–05 Cup winners MTZ-RIPO Minsk qualified for UEFA Cup. 2001 champions Belshina Bobruisk finished on last place and directly relegated to the First League. Lokomotiv Vitebsk and MTZ-RIPO Minsk shared 14th and 15th places with equal number of points and had to play one-legged play-off on a neutral ground to determine who will relegate and who will stay. Lokomotiv Vitebsk lost the game and relegated to the First League. Torpedo-SKA Minsk, who finished 6th, lost financial support from their sponsor in early 2005 and, after losing almost all their main squad and not having funds to pay entrance fee for next season's Premiere League, had to relegate to Second League.

Teams and venues

TeamLocationVenueCapacityPosition in 2003
GomelGomelCentral, Gomel11,8001
BATEBorisovCity Stadium, Borisov5,5002
Dinamo MinskMinskDinamo, Minsk41,0403
Torpedo-SKAMinskTorpedo, Minsk5,2004
ShakhtyorSoligorskStroitel5,0005
TorpedoZhodinoTorpedo, Zhodino3,0206
NemanGrodnoNeman6,3007
NaftanNovopolotskAtlant6,5008
Dnepr-TransmashMogilevSpartak, Mogilev11,2009
BelshinaBobruiskSpartak, Bobruisk3,55010
Dinamo BrestBrestOSK Brestskiy10,08011
Zvezda-VA-BGUMinskTraktor17,60012
DaridaMinsk RaionDarida6,00013
SlaviaMozyrYunost5,50014
LokomotivVitebskCentral, Vitebsk8,300First league, 1
MTZ-RIPOMinskTraktor17,600First league, 2

Table

Relegation play-off

Belarusian clubs in European Cups

Top scorers