FC ML Vitebsk [1] (Belarusian: ФК МЛ Віцебск, romanizedFK ML Viciebsk)[2] is a Belarusian football club based in Vitebsk. Until 2023, the club represented Rahachow.

The club competes in the Belarusian Premier League, the top tier of Belarus football, following promotion from the 2024 Belarusian First League.

Previous names

  • 1983: Avtomobilist
  • 1984–1987: KSM
  • 1988–1997: Dnepr
  • 1998–2000: Rogachev
  • 2001: Rogachev-DYUSSh-1
  • 2002–2006: Dnepr-DYUSSh-1
  • 2007–2013: RMKK
  • 2014–2016: Rogachev-MK
  • 2017–2020: Dnepr
  • 2021–2024: Maxline[3]
  • from 2025: ML Vitebsk[4]

History

The team was founded in 1983 as Avtomobilist Rogachev (Awtamabilist Rahachow, Belarusian: Аўтамабіліст) and was renamed to KSM Rogachev (KBM Rahachow, Belarusian: КБМ) next year. Since its foundation and until the dissolution of Soviet Union the team was playing in Belarusian SSR league. In 1988, they were renamed to Dnepr Rogachev (Dnyapro Rahachow, Belarusian: Дняпро Рагачоў).

In 1992, the team joined newly created Belarusian Second League, where they spent next six seasons. After successful 1996 season Dnepr was promoted to the First League. In 1998, they were renamed to FC Rogachev, in 2001, after partnering with local football academy, to Rogachev-DUSSh-1 and finally to Dnepr-DUSSh-1 Rogachev (Belarusian: Дняпро-ДЮСШ-1) in 2002.

The team spent nine seasons in First League until they finished at the last (16th) place in 2005 and were to be relegated back to the Second League. However, due to financial troubles, the team disbanded in early 2006.

Between 2007 and 2013 the amateur team representing Rogachev played in Gomel Oblast league. In 2014, the team reformed as MKK-Dnepr Rogachev (MKK-Dnyapro Rahachow, Belarusian: МКК-Дняпро)and rejoined Second League, before reverting to classic name Dnepr Rogachev (Dnyapro) in 2015.

Maxline takeover

In 2021 the team was re-branded into Maxline Rogachev, after being taken over by the eponymous betting company. In the fall of 2022 Maxline defeated Arsenal Dzerzhinsk in the promotion/relegation play-off and won the right to be promoted to Belarusian Premier League for the 2023 season. During the off-season, Maxline were denied Premier League license and stayed in the First League as the result. In early 2023 the club cut ties with Rogachev and relocated to Vitebsk with the intention of having better chances for promotion in the bigger city with better infrastructure.[5]

Maxline took second place in the 2024 Belarusian First League and won the right to play in the elite division.[6]

On 29 December 2024, Maxline changed the name of the club to ML Vitebsk.[7] The change is related to the licensing conditions for the Belarus teams in connection with their transition to the 2025 Belarusian Premier League. According to the rules of the Belarusian Football Federation, clubs cannot be called by the name of bookmakers before being promoted. Thus, Maxline had to shorten itself to two capital letters ML. To them they added Vitebsk, the name of the city where the team is based.[8]

Current squad

As of March 2025

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Belarus BLR Pavel Pavlyuchenko
2 DF Belarus BLR Aleksey Nosko
3 DF Belarus BLR Nikita Baranok
4 MF Nigeria NGA Ode Abdullahi
5 DF Belarus BLR Artur Chuduk
7 MF Russia RUS Timur Pukhov
8 MF Belarus BLR Sergey Rusak
10 MF Belarus BLR Oleg Nikiforenko
13 DF Belarus BLR Aleksey Zalesky
14 MF Belarus BLR Ruslan Lisakovich
15 FW Belarus BLR Denis Kozlovskiy
18 MF Belarus BLR Vladislav Zhuk
19 DF Belarus BLR Artem Bruy
21 MF Russia RUS Nikita Glushkov
No. Pos. Nation Player
22 DF Belarus BLR Denis Levitsky
23 MF Belarus BLR Syarhey Balanovich
30 GK Belarus BLR Pavel Shcherbachenya
77 MF Senegal SEN Honore Gomis
88 FW Belarus BLR Yegor Bozhko
99 GK Belarus BLR Aleksandr Titov
MF Belarus BLR Andrey Khachaturyan
MF Belarus BLR Yaroslav Khramtsevich
FW Belarus BLR Denis Ovsyannikov
MF Belarus BLR Daniil Galyata
MF Belarus BLR Gleb Zherdev
MF Belarus BLR Vladimir Skomarovskiy
MF Belarus BLR Daniil Kovalev
MF Brazil BRA Rafael Juninho

Honours

League

League

  • Belarus First Division
    • Runners-up: 2024 [9]

References


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