FC Dynamo Brest (Belarusian: ФК Дынама Брэст, FK Dynama Brest; Russian: ФК Динамо Брест) is a Belarusian professional football club based in Brest. The club plays in the Belarusian Premier League, the top division in Belarusian football.
In 2019, Dynamo won its first Belarusian Premier League title.[2] The club has also won the Belarusian Cup in 2007, 2017 and 2018.[3][4]
History
Origins
The club was founded in 1960 as Spartak Brest and joined Soviet Class B (second-tier league) the same year. After the 1962 season, they were relegated as a result of league reorganization. They came close to promotion twice in 1964 and 1967 but lost the final round both times. They were finally promoted on their third attempt in 1969, but the following year they again dropped to the third tier due to league reorganization.[5] In 1972, the team was renamed Bug Brest and finally, in 1976 Dуnamo Brest. From 1970 until the end of the Soviet era, the club was playing in the Soviet third-tier league. Dynamo Brest had a strong connection with Dinamo Minsk during these years (as both clubs were affiliated to Dinamo Sports Society) and often accepted young Minsk team players on loan.[6]
Belarusian Premier League
In 1992, Dynamo Brest joined the Belarusian Premier League and have been playing there ever since. Their best result was a title in 2019 season, with 5 points of difference to BATE Borisov. In 2007, Dynamo Brest won the Belarusian Cup, also securing their only UEFA Cup participation. During the 2012 season, they were using the name FC Brest due to legal issues with using a Dynamo brand name the rights to which were claimed by Belarusian Dynamo Sport Society. This issue was resolved only by the end of the year. In the 2017 season, Dinamo Brest drew an average home league attendance of 5,689, the highest in the league.[7]
2013: renamed Dinamo Brest (in 2017, Latin spelling altered to Dynamo, as seen on the updated logo)
Supporters and rivalries
The first organised fan group was created on 1 August 1998, and the fan-dedicated stand can hold around 200–500 fans. An ultras group was created in 2008. The fans call themselves the Blue White Devils. They are politically right-wing.[8]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
1 Relegated as the 2nd level (Class B) was reduced from 10 zones (150 teams) in 1962 to a single group of 18 teams in 1963.
2 Advanced to the final round as the best-placed team from Belarusian SSR. No team won the promotion from this final group in the end.
3 Advanced to the semi-final round of promotion tournament (for one spot) as one of top 8 teams not from Russian, Ukrainian, Kazakh or Central Asian SSR.
4 As the best-placed team from Belarusian SSR, Spartak advanced to promotion/relegation play-off against the lowest-placed Belarusian team from the 2nd level.
5 Relegated as the 2nd level (Class B Second Group, renamed Class B First Group from next season) was reduced from 4 zones (87 teams) in 1969 to a single group of 22 teams in 1970.
6 In 1973, every draw was followed by a penalty shoot-out, with a winner gaining 1-point and loser gaining 0.