The Russian invasion of Ukraine is underway, and it has already killed thousands of people, including civilians. On orders, the Russian army caused the greatest conflict in Europe since the Second World War. In connection with the heroic defense of Ukrainians who defend their land, the Russians are committing more and more disgusting deeds, such as the use of a thermobaric bomb or bombing civilian objects with rockets.
ZAKSA refuses to play with the Russians. “We do not blame Russian athletes”
Russia’s barbaric actions in Ukraine are also hitting the world of sport. Public opinion demands that the Russians be excluded from all international competitions, and some federations have already made such decisions. FIFA and UEFA suspended Russian clubs and the Russian national team, and took away Russia’s rights to host this year’s men’s volleyball world championship.
However, the final decision about the Russians has not been made yet, so Russian clubs can still take part in the Champions League matches. In the absence of a decision by the authorities of European volleyball, ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle decided to take the matter into their own hands, which was to face Dynamo Moscow in the quarter-finals of these games.
The defenders of the title on Tuesday issued a special statement in which they refused to play with the Russian teams, but most of all they demanded that the Russians be excluded from the tournament.
– ZAKSA SA would like to inform you that in the current situation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, after consulting the club’s owner, Grupa Azoty ZAK SA, it sees no possibility of any rivalry with the Russian team – Dynamo Moscow as part of – we read in the statement. – The main reasons for this are the safety of the participants of the meetings, even those played on a neutral ground, and the need for a solidary attitude of the European volleyball family towards the drama of Ukrainian society. We would also like to emphasize that we are not blaming Russian athletes for the military actions of their authorities against Ukraine.
– At the same time, we would like to point out that the club’s decision does not mean the team’s resignation from participation in the Champions League volleyball tournament. The club’s position was presented to the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) – the club noted.
The first ZAKSA meeting was to take place in Kędzierzyn-Koźle on March 8.
Source: Sport
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
