Kondratyev replaces German Stange as Belarus coach

Georgy Kondratyev, who led the Belarus under-21 soccer team to the Euro semi-finals this year, was appointed coach of the country’s senior team on Thursday.

The former Soviet striker, who was given a four-year contract, replaces German coach Bernd Stange, whose contract was not renewed following Belarus’s unsuccessful Euro 2012 qualifying campaign.

Under Stange, Belarus stunned France 1-0 in Paris at the start of their Euro 2012 campaign in September last year but then the former Soviet republic’s challenge fizzled out and they finished fourth in their qualifying group.

Contrastingly, the Belarus youngsters surprised many experts when they finished third behind Spain and Switzerland at the Euro Under-21 championship in Denmark in June, qualifying for the 2012 Olympic soccer tournament in Britain.

Kondratyev, 51, would combine his duties coaching the Olympic and senior teams next year, the Belarus soccer federation said.

Kondratyev, who earned 14 caps for the Soviet Union between 1984 and 1986 and won the 1982 Soviet league title for Dynamo Minsk, started his coaching career in 1998. His best achievement at club level came in 2008 when he guided unfancied FC Smorgon to eighth place in the Belarus top flight.