Belarus coach taken to hospital

Belarus coach Eduard Malofeyev was taken to a Minsk hospital suffering hypertension late on Wednesday, three days before his team face the Netherlands in their opening European championships qualifier.

"He wasn't feeling well this morning and when his condition worsened in the evening the doctors demanded that he would be taken to hospital," said Grigory Fyodorov, president of the Belarus soccer federation (BSF).

On Tuesday, the 60-year-old coach was persuaded to stay in his job, ending five days of intense negotiations after he submitted his resignation, citing poor health and heavy criticism from the local media.

But the BSF's executive board rejected the offer and urged him to reconsider.

Fyodorov said he was confident that Malofeyev will recover in time to lead his team for the group three match in Nijmegen.

"I'm sure he will be fine by then," said the BSF chief. Belarus leave for the Netherlands on Friday.

Malofeyev's tenure as coach has been a troubled one.

Last October, he announced he would resign after Belarus failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup finals. He was persuaded to stay on and in May this year he led Belarus to victory in a four-team international tournament in Moscow involving Russia, Yugoslavia and Ukraine.

Malofeyev was appointed as Belarus coach in July 2000 when he replaced Sergei Borovsky following a string of poor results.

The team improved to finish a close third behind Poland and Ukraine in their World Cup qualifying group last year, but disciplinarian Malofeyev has often clashed with his top players.

He threw Alexander Khatskevich and Valentin Belkevich out of the national team last September after accusing the Dynamo Kiev duo of not trying in a home defeat by Ukraine. Defender Alexander Lukhvich was then axed for supporting his team mates.

Belarus are in qualifying group 3 along with the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Austria and Moldova.