Russia - Superliga 2011/2012

  • With all the talking about Simona and Fakel is going to play in Krasnodar on Sunday, I've read an article about Fakel Novy Urengoy. It's from mid-January, yesterday's news but it's so, I don't know, weird, that I've decided to post it here. I don't know is it true or not what it says but it all seems really strange to me


    ITALIAN SABOTAGE
    As we have informed, last year the men’s Club had lost its coach. The same problem suddenly happened to women's volley team of Novy Urengoy. By the way, the date when Elena Celisheva was dismissed as "Fakel’s" head coach has several mystical tint – it happened on Friday, the thirteenth of January …


    And the background of this event tastes like spaghetti and pizza as not the last role in a series of defeats, which served as the reason for the resignation of head coach, was played by Italians Antonella Del Core and Simona Gioli.
    We talked to former head coach of the Club Elena Celisheva.


    QUESTIONABLE BENEFITS


    Elena immediately recalled that at Simona and Antonella are professional, tactically skilled players and high hopes on them were justified by the level of their skills and, equally important, experience. It is worth mentioning that both girls are included as part of the Italian Olympic team. But the harsh realities of the Russian Championship women Superleague showed that use of the Italians in "Fakel" is definitely questionable.


    In the first games they showed themselves well. They arrived just a day before meeting with «Uralochka», but that did not prevent him to join the team and work for the victory. Three wins in the Championship were listed in our asset owes foreign players. Soon they left to play for Italy at the World Cup. On their return, I also did not have any complains on Antonella and Simona’s performance, "said Yelena Celiŝeva.


    Italian temper became evident only after the embarrassing defeat in Balakovo. Foreigners told the coach that they aren’t being use on the positions where they must play. In addition, Del Core and Gioli made at all paranoid accusation– they said, Celiŝeva Elena was spreading bad rumors about them in sporting circles in Italy.


    According to ex-coach of "Fakel", these are absolutely unfounded criticism. Focus on the fact that in her post-match comments media Elena Celisheva has never criticized the Italians.


    “I tried to resolve the conflict with conversation, took into the consideration the views of foreign women of the game as a whole”, says ex-coach, Elena Vitalevna.


    SCANDALOUS MATCH


    But it didn't help. The situation was explosive with charges, southern temperament in probably to blame. In the game with Cherepovets Club the unthinkable happened. At 4:9 not in favor of "Fakel" in the fourth set coach decided to replace Del Core with Yulia Kutûkova. When leaving the site, Antonella has thrown disk signal into assistant coach Olga Potašovu and stated that she will not play anymore. With Yulia the set was won. When Del Core had to regain her place on the court, she refused. The team suffered defeat on tie-brake ...


    –It cannot be considered otherwise as sabotage. How can I influence the course of the game, if the athlete does not go to play? -asks the rhetorical question Elena Celiŝeva.


    Foreign’s behavior straining all other players as well. For example, in the locker room, where all the girls walk barefoot, Antonella Del Core and Simona Gioli always wear shoes. All mornings Italians are working-out. According to Elena Celisheva, they are nothing but increasing their overall preparation to be in top shape for the Olympic Games. It turns out that here in Novy Urengoy le signorine only earn money ...


    As a result, Antonella and Simona got cocky and lost control. They’ve simply ignored coach's demands. In many ways this was the reason why out of eleven matches the team has won only four ...


    It is too early to speculate whether the contracts with foreigners will be terminated this season. The fact remains the dismissal of Elena Celiŝeva. Most likely, she will continue to work with the youth volleyball team of Novy Urengoy as a consultant.
    Now coach of women's "Fakel" is Olga Potachova, a very competent specialist. Will she cope with Italian temperament – time will tell. Not impossible is the outcome in which Elena Celiŝeva will return to her job.
    from here http://ks-yanao.ru/index.php?o…%81%D0%BA%D0%B8&Itemid=30

  • Thanks, it's interesting to read. Can you tell something about Celisheva? I think I never heard that name before...
    Either way I can imagine that there is at least some truth in it. A lot of "Western" players didn't seem too happy in Russia, so I can imagine Del Core being so frustrated that she forgot her professional behaviour. Athletes are just human too, I remember in 2009 ECH Helena Havelkova was shouting at her head coach in a time-out but still she is one of the best OHs in Europe today. Of course it's bad behaviour but I think it shouldn't be overrated (unless it happens more often).

  • thank you for this news. I dont know if I believ it or not, as we didnt hear what the others say. But its always good to have some drama :)

  • Thanks, it's interesting to read. Can you tell something about Celisheva? I think I never heard that name before...
    Either way I can imagine that there is at least some truth in it. A lot of "Western" players didn't seem too happy in Russia, so I can imagine Del Core being so frustrated that she forgot her professional behaviour. Athletes are just human too, I remember in 2009 ECH Helena Havelkova was shouting at her head coach in a time-out but still she is one of the best OHs in Europe today. Of course it's bad behaviour but I think it shouldn't be overrated (unless it happens more often).

    yes, we should not forget that players are human beings as well. And the conditions and the psycological situations they are with a lot of pressure make them to react sometimes like a human being which looks like unprofessional behaviour. But I also can understand the players ! On the other side if the story is true, than I cannot understand the behaviour of Gioli, because this is not her first season in russia like Del Core !

  • Thanks, it's interesting to read. Can you tell something about Celisheva? I think I never heard that name before...
    Either way I can imagine that there is at least some truth in it. A lot of "Western" players didn't seem too happy in Russia, so I can imagine Del Core being so frustrated that she forgot her professional behaviour. Athletes are just human too, I remember in 2009 ECH Helena Havelkova was shouting at her head coach in a time-out but still she is one of the best OHs in Europe today. Of course it's bad behaviour but I think it shouldn't be overrated (unless it happens more often).


    Havelkova is a bit cocky sometimes, she did a very rude thing to Christina Bauer last season in the playoffs. When Bauer failed with something, I think a pass, Helena shout right in her face how bad/wrong she was. Bauer seemd very sad after it.

  • Thanks, it's interesting to read. Can you tell something about Celisheva? I think I never heard that name before...


    Celisheva was a head coach of Fakel from 2009, she returned the team to Superliga. She's young and ambitious coach, I liked the way she conducted the game so I'm sad that it went that way. I hope she'll get another chance. It's obvious that the goals for the team were set very high this year with signing such international stars as Gioli and Del Core. But the team had absolutely no one to cover opposite hitter position. And it's really ridiculous to expect Simona Gioli to do well as OPP all season long in such difficult league as Russian. Right now Simona has hit her top form and she's very useful. After all written I can't imagine that Simona and Antonella will stay in Novy Urengoy for next season so there will be a lot of changes there, probably at the headcoach position as well.

  • By the way, very intresting article Semisonic, thanks :flower:


    But I dont really belive that the article tells the whole story, I guess there is one more side of the coin ! Because Gioli only playing for money and that, I dont really belive it. Gioli is a proffesional, and she was playing 3 seasons in Moscow, a serious team that not would have continued with her, if her behavoiur was like that !


    And, since then with Potachova I guess it have been better, cause Fakel have been playing very well the last months actually, and Gioli last game was maybe her all time best score in her carrer?


  • I guess also Maja Ognjenovic that had a husband who played in Russia had some offers from Russia (would have been strange otherwise) but she choosed Modena anyway.

    She actually didn't. She spent a couple of months with her boyfriend in Moscow hoping there would be some offers, but there were none and she spoke about how frustrating it was that most clubs were only interested in hitters.


    On the other had though, given how big Russia is, if she's not in Moscow where her boyfriends lives, she might just as well play in another country.

  • She actually didn't. She spent a couple of months with her boyfriend in Moscow hoping there would be some offers, but there were none and she spoke about how frustrating it was that most clubs were only interested in hitters.


    On the other had though, given how big Russia is, if she's not in Moscow where her boyfriends lives, she might just as well play in another country.


    I see, intresting to hear. Its so hard to understand for me at least, that a team like Moscow bought Grun for big money when they already had Ortiz, Yaneva and Makarova as OH´s, instead of buying a setter like Maja that was intrested, and for probably less money.


    They really has to change view in Russia and stop think volleyball is just about attack, otherwise they will never win CL again I think. Not even Gamova have won CL.