In less than a year, Russian domestic sports leagues, like their peers across Europe, were flourishing with a mix of foreign and domestic players.
The difference that war makes.
why i wrote this
The effects of the Ukrainian war may not have hit the Russian people hard, but Russian sports are suffering because they are boycotted by foreign athletes and organizations.
Russian basketball, hockey and soccer teams have been barred from international competition since Moscow invaded Ukraine, with foreign stars breaking their contracts and leaving the country. US basketball player Britney Griner has been sentenced to nine years in prison for drug smuggling, but the mood hasn’t improved.
Russian athletes were barred from international sport from the Russian Revolution of 1917 until 1952, but the impact was clear. “There was no way to compare our level with that of other countries,” says prominent sports journalist Nikolai Yeremenko.
Some Soviet veterans say Russia’s isolation should be seen as an opportunity to better develop Russian players. But Russian sports fans will be the biggest losers, because without foreigners the game will suffer.
“Currently, there are no foreign players in our club,” says Sergei Druzhinin, manager of the Metalurg ice hockey team in Magnitogorsk. “The level of our game…will be lowered.”
In less than a year, Russian domestic sports leagues, like their peers across Europe, were flourishing with a mix of foreign and domestic players.
The difference that war makes.
Today, with Cold War-like tensions between the Kremlin and the West deepening, and WNBA star Britney Griner facing a nine-year sentence in a Russian penal colony, Russian basketball, hockey and soccer teams are on the move. , find themselves being kicked out of international competition. And many of the former “legionnaires” (foreign players) they depended on have dropped their contracts and left the country.
why i wrote this
The effects of the Ukrainian war may not have hit the Russian people hard, but Russian sports are suffering because they are boycotted by foreign athletes and organizations.
The alienation of Russian athletes from global sport has been an ongoing story for years, ever since a massive doping allegation saw official Russia largely excluded from the Olympics. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in May prompted most international sports federations to ban Russian teams from scheduled competitions.
Lesser known, however, are the hundreds of foreign players who, like Grina, have brought their expertise to the local Russian wide-ranging sports teams that have developed reputations at both the domestic and European level. It’s fate.
The war brought all of them to a complete halt, upending the Russian basketball and football team’s hopes of a European Championship. are exposed.
Mass exodus of foreign legions in Russian sports media has been the subject of considerable debate. Some argue that it means the end of Russia’s sporting ambitions, while others argue that it will give Russian athletes more opportunities and boost the development of the country’s sport. .
‘Not enough qualified players’
Griner, a key player in the UMMC basketball team in the Ural city of Yekaterinburg, was arrested on February 17, before the war began, and charged with possession of small amounts of hash oil. In August, she was sentenced to her nine years in prison. This is a very harsh sentence, even by Russian standards, and has sparked speculation that the Kremlin wants to use her in a Cold War-style prisoner exchange with the United States.
But her ordeal is fueling the wartime chill that is already driving foreign players out of Russia.
“Obviously, if one of the best basketball players is in prison, it would be very discouraging to all foreign players thinking of signing a contract in Russia.
“All efforts to create conditions for attracting top-level athletes to Russian sports teams have been ruined, all interests have been ruined. she pleaded guilty [but] Maybe she had just been fined and justice was content with minimal punishment. The damage is now complete. “
In an extensive interview with the official RIA-Novosti agency, UMMC captain Evgenia Belyakova, who went to Moscow to testify on Griner’s behalf, described her as a “good person” and a “disciplined” player. Yes, and never intended to break the law. She lamented the fact that all of the team’s foreign players and their Spanish coach left in February after Griner’s arrest and the team’s exclusion from the Euroleague women’s competition.
“Naturally, Britney’s situation couldn’t help but affect our Legionnaire,” she said.[We were] A big and friendly family. We spent a lot of time off the court as well as playing together. It’s no secret that our team was formed for the Euroleague. [the championship] It was the main goal of the season. “
A similar situation has permeated other sports, including hockey, and the Russian team has long been considered a spawning ground for the NHL. In the Continental Hockey League, which includes several non-Russian clubs, Latvian and Finnish teams dropped out in protest of the war, with many players following suit.
“There are not enough qualified players to fill all the Russian hockey teams. “We currently have no foreign players in our club. ”
Some see it as an opportunity
Russian football may be taking the worst hit, says Nikolai Yeremenko, editor of sports daily Sovetsky Sports. “football [soccer] It suffers more than most other sports.Money earned by major Russian teams [European competition] Helped a lot with the club’s budget. But now all the foreign high-level players have left. “
“FIFA [international soccer’s governing body] This was made possible by changing the rules to allow foreign players to suspend contracts [with Russian teams] without facing legal consequences. As a result, the team cannot plan ahead,” he says. “Players are not punished for their disappearance. It is already clear that the level of football in Russia is declining. We can no longer compare our level with that of Europe.”
As of early August, 37 Legionnaires had left the Russian Premier League, including 16 clubs, and 23 new foreign players had replaced them, according to Moscow’s Daily Sports Express. Most of them are top players from Europe, followed by lesser-known players from South America and Serbia.
“A year ago the league was replenished with dozens of players from different countries, but now we don’t have such a wide selection. It is the country that has sent football players to Russia, the difference being that it used to be one of many donors, but now it is almost the only donor, ”said the newspaper.
For some Russians, like Soviet-era basketball legend Stanislav Yeremin, the crisis should be treated as an opportunity to develop Russian sport and forge new ties with the country that will continue to compete with Russians. claims.
“Please look forward to it,” Yeremin told SportsMK newspaper. “I don’t think we’ll be in Europe for at least a couple of years. So we’ll have to look to the Russian market or look for international competition opportunities with countries and clubs that can still play with us. And it will be a big deal.”
Russian sports were excluded from international competition from the Russian Revolution of 1917 until 1952. “I do not believe the claims that this situation works in our favor. Progress can only be made when the strongest compete against each other. Sports cannot develop under sanctions.
“It’s very difficult to say what to do now. With the ideology of the besieged fortress, everything is confused.”
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