Fans turn to Belarus to fill void as virus puts sport on hold

FILE PHOTO: A TV set broadcasting the soccer match of the Belarusian Premier League or the Vysheyshaya Liga, which keeps playing and holding matches with fans despite the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is seen at the Smith's bar in Moscow, Russia March 27, 2020. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

MINSK/MOSCOW (Reuters) - With professional soccer at a virtual standstill around the globe, fans in need of their weekly fix are turning to the Belarusian Premier League to fill the void as it carries on with matches despite the coronavirus outbreak.

The league, one of Europe's least glamorous competitions whose teams rarely reach the group stage of UEFA's elite Champions League, is drawing foreign fans' attention and a string of new broadcast deals.