Everything you need to know about the soccer leagues still playing

The coronavirus pandemic has shut down the majority of the football world, but a small collection of leagues continues to play on during the crisis. Here’s what you need to know about those four competitions.

Belarusian Premier League ??

Despite growing concerns of players and fans, Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko remains insistent that sports trudge ahead, even as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country continues to rise. As Europe’s lone active competition, the Belarusian Premier League has received plenty of attention in recent weeks, both from a general interest perspective and – perhaps more importantly for league officials – a betting one.

Defending champions: Dynamo Brest, one of only four teams to appear every season since the league’s inception in 1992, captured their first-ever top-flight title in 2019. Powered by joint-leading scorers Dzyanis Laptsew and Pavel Nyakhaychyk, they finished undefeated away from home.

Most successful club: BATE Borisov are the only Belarusian side to compete in the Champions League group stages and have won 15 top-flight titles. Not too shabby. Their dominant run of 13 consecutive league titles was halted last season by Dynamo Brest. BATE’s response? Signing the aforementioned Nyakhaychyk from their rivals.

The situation this season: The campaign is midway through its fourth week and, incredibly, BATE opened proceedings with two consecutive defeats; they lost four matches all of last year. Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino are the early front-runners, grabbing top spot by beating previously undefeated Energetik-BGU 2-0 this weekend.

Fun fact: If you’re looking for an off-the-wall reason to support a particular club – and, really, isn’t that why we’re all here right now? – FC Slutsk’s crest features a winged horse and is as good as any. It’s quite cheerful.

Burundi Premier League ??

With only three matches left in the season, Burundi’s football federation (FFB) is determined to complete its league campaign. To date, three coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the East African country. “If there are signs of the virus spreading, we will stop the championship,” FFB president Ndikuriyo Reverien told BBC Sport Africa this week. Players have been instructed not to celebrate goals or shake hands with opponents and referees.

Defending champions: Aigle Noir FC, based in the southern city of Makamba, dominated the 16-team league last season, finishing 13 points clear of their nearest challenger to claim their maiden title.

Most successful club: Vital’O FC, who have gone through a series of identity changes and even a merger over the years, have 20 league championships to their name. The club crest features a trophy, which seems appropriate, all things considered.

The situation this season: This year’s battle for league supremacy is a two-team affair, with Le Messager Ngozi leading Musongati by four points; the latter have a match in hand, though. Le Messager Ngozi have ridden a league-best defense to top spot this season, conceding only 15 goals and parlaying that into an impressive plus-28 goal differential.

Fun fact: Bujumbura, the largest city in Burundi and the nation’s former capital, is home to six clubs in the top flight. Eat your heart out, Madrid.

Primera Liga de Nicaragua ??

The 10-team league continues to play matches behind closed doors, though players have admitted that the pandemic has significantly altered their approach to the sport. “We try to avoid touching other players,” Carlos Mosquera, a goalkeeper with Deportivo Las Sabanas, recently told The Independent. “Football has changed because you don’t go in for a 50-50 ball with the same intensity.” Much like in Belarus, strongman president Daniel Ortega has used the sport to signify stability.

Defending champions: Not unlike the campaigns of many other leagues across the globe – including Mexico’s Liga MX – the Nicaraguan season is split into two parts. Real Esteli won the Apertura, played in the second half of 2019, and the Clausura portion of the campaign is now barreling toward its conclusion.

Most successful club: One of the oldest clubs in Central America, Diriangen are the most decorated side in Nicaragua with 27 titles. The club, which won seven domestic championships in the 1940s, has also been the most vocal in calling to halt proceedings amid the pandemic.

The situation this season: Led by Spanish midfielder Pablo Gallego, Managua lead the Clausura table on 33 points. In the midst of a 10-match unbeaten run, they haven’t tasted defeat in over a month. Diriangen and Real Esteli, both built around stingy defenses, are also in the mix.

Fun fact: If you did a double-take while looking at the standings, you’re not alone. Though they’re languishing in the bottom half of the Clausura table, you’ll find both Juventus FC and Real Madriz FC in Nicaraguan football.

Tajikistan Higher League ??

With no confirmed cases of COVID-19, the landlocked country in central Asia kicked off its football season as scheduled earlier in April. FC Istiklol captured the annual curtain-raiser, winning the Super Cup by defeating last season’s runners-up, Khujand, in a match played without fans in attendance.

Defending champions: FC Istiklol, who play in the capital city of Dushanbe, won a domestic treble in 2019. Young Tajik forward Sheriddin Boboev claimed the Golden Boot, outpacing teammate Alisher Dzhalilov with 16 goals.

Most successful club: Founded in 1992 – the year after Tajikistan gained independence through the collapse of the Soviet Union – this league has lately been dominated by Istiklol. They’ve won six consecutive titles and eight overall – one better than Regar-TadAZ.

The situation this season: Given that we’re only midway through the second round of fixtures, it’s difficult to draw any conclusions at this exceedingly early stage of the season. That said, two newly promoted sides, FC Faizkand and Lokomotiv Pamir, have jumped out to quick starts: Both have racked up four points from their opening two matches.

Fun fact: The 10-team league features 42 foreign players, according to Reuters. After neighboring Uzbekistan (20), the country best represented on that list is Ghana, with 10 players.