Politics and social issues

    I've been hearing about stuff like this, but you're right, it could be stressed further. In general, I'm very interested on what the Russians think about all this... How strong is Putin's internal support, etc... It's still so difficult to understand what's going on...

    Quote from WZP

    The only way at this moment is to boycott these champs by the federations and competitors.

    Although I do agree with your general assessment (f*** Russia), I don't know what we should do. We're in a middle of the biggest war in Europe since WWII, there should be nothing more than that to convince policy-makers, international organizations and sports federations that Russia should be treated in the same way as North Korea or other rogue states from the past. There's a discussion ongoing in Poland that our male national team in football should boycott World Cup qualies against Russia, but I wonder: what's the point? Do these international sports federations such as FIFA really need any more evidence and pressure to get to the conclusion that Russia is bad and sanctions should be as well related to the sports activities? No, they're clearly aware of that. These boycotts would make sense if every federation decides to do so, but ask yourself if there's an opportunity for Cuba, China or Iran to speak the same voice as Europe? When in fact even in Europe it becomes troublesome anytime we need to speak about specifics (like SWIFT-sanctions) and not generals? Is it good to expect from non-Russian players to really boycott such important events as World Champs? What if Poland boycotts this game against Russia, and stands alone? We'll have a moral victory, yet our players will waste a chance to play in World Cup. Tricky.


    The same - because we're on a volleyball forum - about clubs competition. Zenit Saint Petersburg and Zenit Kazan are sponsored by Gazprom, the main economic instrument of Russian regime to interfere in Western European affairs. Dinamo Moscow is owned by the biggest Russian national bank and is chaired by Putin's friend, former KGB colonel. So my Ukrainian friends are under an invasion of Russia, and yet at the same time Russian oligarchs and political mainstream can operate in several social areas such as sports, at least for now, without any sanctions? So yesterday Gazprom was promoted on shirts in CEV Cup game between Monza and Kazan? That is insane. We're living in times were good should be call good, and evil should be call evil, but when I read that Italy wants some exception on sanctions on luxury goods against Russia because of its own national interests, two days after the invasion, then I don't even pretend to think that it is possible for the West to have a strong position against evil as it is.


    But the only hope for a proper reaction in sports is a reaction on multilateral continental/worldwide level, and I believe WCh will be played somewhere else at the end of the day thanks to the pressure that will be created, so I hope there'll be strong reaction to this FIVB morons. Yet I don't think we'll get a proper response in sports against Russia in general, Russian clubs related in any way to the government (so basically every club, lol) should be banned from competitions at the beginning, let's wait if they get such treatment. Spoiler alert, they probably won't.


    And, regarding FIVB, keep in mind that we've already had an example of communist regime of Cuba that was banning its players who didn't want to be slaves and wanted to play abroad - and FIVB ... was accepting that because it was ... according to the rules, so they were basically agreeing with the regime and accepting 2-years bans for Simon, Leon etc just because they wanted to earn a proper money. In XXI century. So don't expect too much from them.

    UEFA is moving their final to Paris.


    F1 is cancelling the Russian Grand Prix.


    Meanwhile FIVB rolls in Russian money.


    Im going to cancel my subscriptions to them. It won't mean anything, but they dont need my money anymore. There are always alternative means of watching.

    So happy to read this. Russia needs to be isolated from everything. And Belarus too.

    Fivb didn't evén bother with ioc sanctions anf not with this war


    I wonder how much money they received from russia

    I didn't see this news till now, but men ages 18-60 are not allowed to leave Ukraine in case they are needed to fight.


    All the fathers saying their last words to their wives and kissing their children goodbye at the borders. How about the rare cases of single fathers with no other family member to help? Mothers having to leave behind their young adult son. ;(


    We decided to withdraw from football WC Q against Russia scheduled for March. I hope for the same reaction from European volleyball federations (and CEV), let's kill this tournament on our terms if FIVB doesn't want to cooperate.


    We, I mean Poland. :p


    According to the rumors, Robert Lewandowski was strongly opposing an option to play any game against Russia, I hope for the same reaction from volleyball stars (I see Ngapeth starting on socials). Oh, he wrote it on twitter:



    Follow Polish example, please.

    Quote from Realista

    I hope for the same reaction from volleyball stars (I see Ngapeth starting on socials).

    I see that also Gamova, Kliuka, Wrona and Zaytsev made statements.

    We need to stand TOGETHER.


    I hope volleyball players are gone unite if FIVB and CEV doesn’t do the same.
    Let’s boycott WCH in Russia.