This is just ridiculous. Sada has prove it not only one, but 3 times, they were the best. And those excuses to “prove” Sada didn’t deserve their titles is just ridiculous. Just doesn’t make sense. Zenit can be better right now, but this doesn’t erase Sada’s achievements (and 2 of them over Zenit).
I am not in a position to debate which league is stronger etc as I don't have time to follow these leagues THB. But the fact is that winning the domestic cup this season was a more complex task for Kazan than grabbing the CWC title. Some of you have seen the F4 in which Zenit was bruised and bleeding. At CWC, we had a very close final indeed but at the same time Kazan clearly had a poor serving game whilst Macerata-or-whatever was very lucky with all those micro touches, carries "power tips" etc. I doubt there are many games in their home league in which both OHs would kill like 70% of balls in most improbable way. Well, I bet the truth was that breaking Sokolov's back was clearly the main task for Kazan. At the TO in set 2, Alekno was pretty open about that. And yes, the kind-of-Italian team needed a TO after that 1-on-1 block on Sokolov in set 2... That was the point of no return. Btw, struggle to understand why their coach speaks Italian to his team of labour migrants non-Italians :).
Regarding to which club is historically best, I do not think this competition can resolve this q fairly. I understand the apologists of Sada greatness but let us face the fact, a pre-season tourney on a different planet continent is not going to be taken seriously by definition. Do admit that the overall level of CWCs won by Sada was pretty poor. From this perspective, the CWCs won by Belgorod and Kazan may look far more valuable. But then the caveat here is that Belgorod had domestic finals rearranged for them back in 2014 (and in fact given those away to Kazan) in order to prepare for the CWC - I doubt their opponents had such a liberty. This year, let's face it, Kazan needed this most - due to some domestic funding risks imposed by their doppelgänger from St Petersburg. I am not aware of any special pressure on Sada... and many other teams seemed as if they arrived mostly to enjoy themselves. I wouldn't say the venues were packed... and all the finals ending in straight sets tell a very clear tale.
QuoteSo Poland won 2014 FIVB WCH because they hosted it? And had the advantage of time zone over Brazil? So Brazil won 2016 Olympics just because they were in their home?
Yes, those were home wins, very similar to e.g. the "miraculous" win of ChL by Novosibirsk in 2013. And we all should thank Deutschland that the 2014 football World Cup went off this beaten track.
