Blue-white-blue won the traditional St. Petersburg Memorial Vyacheslav Platonov and continue to prepare for the official season. Among the newcomers to the team of Alexander Klimkin is 22-year-old St. Petersburg pupil Sergei Pirainen. Last season I spent the diagonal in the ranks of the poverty-stricken VC Ugra-Samotlor, which did not have enough money for plasters and air tickets. Now he is preparing to play in the Champions League. Pirainen told Sport Day by Day how difficult it is to be a young player in a very experienced squad.
- You made an abrupt transition- from a hopeless outsider of the Super League to the location of the silver medalist of the Russian championship.
- Yes, last season I played in Nizhnevartovsk. Zenit came to our game. After the game, I went to the hotel where the Zenit team lived. I was going to meet with friends, acquaintances. With Denis Chereisky, for example. I came, and Andrei Tolochko (the senior coach of Zenit - “Sport Day by Day”) came up to me and said that they wanted to see me at Zenit. I was very happy to spend the next season in my hometown, and immediately agreed. It's nice to return to St. Petersburg. It's interesting to debut in the Champions League. This is a very prestigious tournament. He will give invaluable experience. There are such teams! It's interesting to meet everyone. I really like Italian volleyball. It would be interesting to play against Italian clubs.
- “Ugra” had serious financial problems. Was it difficult for you last season?
- Yes, it was not easy. There was no money for commonplace things. On the plasters. The season ended completely exhausted. Although Samotlor has a good club president. I hope he can regain lost ground.
- Zenit has a different position. There is only gold above silver.
- I think Zenit is able to fulfill the highest goals in the new season. The team is well chosen. I like everything very much. Staff. Organization. The team is very experienced. Partners always suggest what needs to be done. A very good coach. I was lucky with the team! How to beat Kazan - I don't think so. These are questions for the coach. My thoughts now are about getting in shape. I cannot judge in percentage how ready I am, but I need to pick up my condition. Before the Platonov Memorial, Zenit held several training cycles with balls. The memorial itself has become an enticing tournament. The coaching staff regulates when to pick up the load and when to slow down.
- Isn't it hard for you and Pavel Pankov among the older players of Zenit's "base"?
- On the contrary, it's interesting. We are prompted and helped. The whole team can help, and everyone suggests their own action. If something doesn't work out for me, then, for example, Zhenya Sivozhelez comes up to me after the end of the training and calmly explains what needs to be done. We repeat the exercises together. So I sometimes linger after training. This is very good for me.
- What do you need to work on?
- Above everything! Above the block, say. In the attack, you need to play with the ligaments. Probably over attacks along the line. Nothing, everything will work out soon. The most important thing for me is to prove to myself that I can remove my shortcomings. And then we will see.
Soon Georg Groser will join Zenit, who should become the main diagonal of the St. Petersburg team.
- It will be interesting to play with such an athlete. I think you can learn everything from him. And the whole team can learn something new from him. Personally, I especially watch the lefties playing in my position. I'm left-handed myself. We don't have that many left-handed diagonal players in the Russian Super League. Sometimes I watch the games of Maxim Zhigalov and Denis Zemchonok.
by the way
Tomorrow, September 12, the Russian men's team will start at the 2018 World Championships in Italy and Bulgaria. This is the seventh attempt by the Russians to win the enchanted tournament. As one of the strongest teams in the world, the national team has never won gold in post-Soviet history. In general, Russian men have only one medal set in six draws. This silver in 2002, won with the participation of Sergei Tetyukhin, Vadim Khamuttskikh, Pavel Abramov and other stars.
At the World Championship, Russia is one of the favorites. Hurricane attack and physical strength have always been her trump cards, but in the League of Nations - 2018, Sergey Shlyapnikov's team surprised with an excellent reception.
The tournament started on September 9 with matches of two host teams - Bulgaria and Italy. However, the main events begin on September 12, when the bulk of the participants enter the fight.
In the "best" volleyball traditions, the formula for the world championship was found at the end of a chemistry textbook. Three group stages at once, one after the other! Moreover, the giants are forced to go through all the rounds on a par with the outsiders, and the placement in the third group stage is determined by drawing lots. But the playoffs consist only of the semi-finals, the final and the match for the bronze, that is, this is the “Final Four”.
The Russian national team will start in the first group round on September 12 with a match against Australia. Four strongest teams from each group will come out of the first stage. This is an easy task for Russians. If Shlyapnikov's charges take one of the first two places, they will probably get a good toss in the second group stage.
In the final application of the Russian national team - not a single player of the St. Petersburg "Zenith". The country's champion Zenit-Kazan dominates, having delegated four.
The composition of the Russian national team at the 2018 World Cup
Binders
Alexander Butko. Zenit-Kazan
Sergey Grankin. Dynamo Moscow
Diagonal
Maxim Mikhailov. Zenit-Kazan
Victor Poletaev. Kuzbass, Kemerovo
Blocking
Ilya Vlasov. "Dynamo"
Artem Volvich. Zenit-Kazan
Ilyas Kurkaev. Lokomotiv, Novosibirsk
Dmitry Musersky. Suntory Sunbirds, Japan
Wing Spikers
Yuri Berezhko. "Dynamo"
Dmitry Volkov. "Torch", Novy Urengoy
Yegor Klyuka. "Torch"
Alexey Rodichev. "Locomotive"
Libero
Alexey Verbov. Zenit-Kazan
Alexander Sokolov. "Yaroslavich", Yaroslavl
Head coach: Sergey Shlyapnikov
The Russian men's volleyball team continues to prepare for the hardest marathon in the League of Nations, where the teams will play 15 matches in a month. The head coach of our team last year won the European Championship on the very first attempt, but now a new cycle has begun, where it is necessary to set serious goals, taking into account the autumn World Championship. Two friendly matches with Bulgaria (open and closed) were won, ahead is the start in the League of Nations.
The coach of the Russian national team told the "Championship" how the preparations for the new tournament are being organized, as well as about when the volleyball players of Kazan "Zenit", who won the Champions League a week ago, can join the team.
Sergey Konstantinovich, can you share your impressions of the sparring sessions with the Bulgarian team in preparation for the League of Nations.
- Firstly, these test matches were very important for us in order to better understand what we are doing today and what is not working. We received information on what needs to be done in the near future. Of course, this was done in order to better prepare for the League of Nations that kicks off next week. A tall team with a strong serve was chosen as a sparring partner. We really wanted just such an opponent, so it's good that they met us halfway. We also have matches planned with the Bulgarians on the road already before the preparations for the World Cup.
The first match, which was open to spectators and the press, ended with a score of 3: 0 in favor of the Russian national team. There was also an additional set, which the Russians lost. What conclusions did you manage to draw on this game?
- The team was ready for this match, and the first game showed that when we are as concentrated as possible, we succeed in the game. The first set was very convincing. Then the team lowered the level of concentration a little, so we got a nervous ending. There were many mistakes that we then had to heroically level out with the help of character. But it is for this reason that control matches are needed, which help to identify the problem areas of the team. The third game also ended in our favor, but we already played the fourth set with an experimental squad to see all the players involved in the training camp.
- Were you able to find any other problem areas following the results of this match?
- If we talk more about problems, then this, of course, is a technique that determines how much we will develop our attacking potential. We have great potential, but in order to realize it, this element is very important. We will work on this in the future. It also affected that in the position of the diagonal player, we did not have everything as we would like. Romanas Shkulevicius is part of the rhythm of the work of the national team, he is still invited to the team for the first time. He needs time to adapt. Kostya Bakun was healing his injury, so we are taking care of him now and letting him in only for a short time, so that he can feel his partners, and his partners. As for the closed game, I can only say that we won 3: 2. That is why it is closed ( smiles). It is important that we win against the backdrop of loads. I deliberately did not let go of the load, because we have a long competition ahead of us, so we were not in optimal shape.
Russian volleyball players beat Bulgaria in a friendly match
The decision to play the second match behind closed doors is due to the fact that you try the options of the game without prying eyes?
- In general, yes. Plus, we ourselves were interested in playing in Novogorsk and not traveling far, because, again, the guys are under serious stress. We wanted to play in the usual conditions. In addition, here at the base we have a gym, opportunities for recovery. There is a swimming pool and a sauna, which is very important in order to minimize the time we spend on the road.
- What plans does the team have before the start of the League of Nations in Poland?
- On Monday the team has a day off, and on Tuesday we resume work. On Wednesday, we will fly to Poland directly for the first stage of the League of Nations.
- Have you managed to sort out the rivals in this round of the tournament - the teams of South Korea, Poland and Canada?
- Now we are collecting information. Many teams these days hold test matches in Europe. This applies to both Canada and Poland. We collect data and process it so that after the weekend we already have an idea of the state of our rivals. So far, this information is not enough. This is especially true of the South Korean national team, but with them we will have the last match in Poland, so there will be additional information about what the Koreans are.
The League of Nations is a real volleyball marathon, where teams have to play 15 matches per month. How will you build your preparation based on this, and when will the guys from Zenit Kazan and Pavel Pankov from Zenit Petersburg join the team?
- We expect that Pavel Pankov will join us on the 22nd. He will fly to the League of Nations, because we really need him as a setter. He heals his injury, and we went to meet him, giving him time to recover. We are waiting for him in the national team. We hope that he will help the team. As for the Zenit Kazan players, we understand that they had a tense championship, and they played international tournaments. We see that Maxim Mikhailov bears an enormous load in his club. The same goes for Artyom Volvich. If the situation develops in such a way that we have a good chance of making it to the final of the League of Nations, then these guys will be ready to help us. We are also counting on Alexander Butko in preparation for the World Cup.
How to find the right balance in the League of Nations in order to try the maximum number of players in the national team, but still achieve the result?
- At this stage, our task is still to get into the Final Six of the League of Nations. At the same time, I would like to check the nearest reserve. You can see how many newcomers we have at the training camp. We need to understand whether we can count on them in the future. The League of Nations is really a very tense tournament, where you have to play 15 games in a month. It's difficult to play such a tournament with one squad, that's why we expect to give the guys a chance. All this will allow us to draw the right conclusions in preparation for the World Cup.
The World Women's Volleyball Championship begins on September 28, 2018. The head coach of the Russian national team Vadim Pankov has already announced the final composition of his team.
The Russians' bid consists of 14 volleyball players who will defend the honor of the country at the upcoming World Cup. In order to get to the playoff stage of the main volleyball tournament, Russian athletes must win five teams that are in the same group with them.
Vadim Pankov decided to take 14 athletes to the largest volleyball tournament. The most widely represented are the players who are able to play the position of the "outplayer". The head coach summoned Irina Voronkova, Anna Kotikova, Ksenia Parubets and Olga Biryukova to the national team, who can play in this position.
The coaching staff will have a very large choice in relation to volleyball players who play the role of a "blocking player". Irina Koroleva, Irina Fetisova, Ekaterina Efimova and Ekaterina Lyubushkina were invited to the 2018 World Championship. On the diagonals of the Russian national team, the composition will be quite predictable, since only two volleyball players were called up - Natalia Goncharova and Daria Malygina.
Either Evgenia Startseva or Tatyana Romanova will play the role of "connecting link" in the matches of the Russian national volleyball team. The functions of the "last defender", or "libero", will fall on the shoulders of Daria Talysheva or Alla Galkina. Thus, the head coach will be able to show flexibility in the tactical transformations of the team, as well as to make timely replacements of tired players.
Volleyball players of the Russian national team are already preparing for the upcoming tournament, which will be solemnly opened in Japan on September 29, 2018. The initial draw had already been carried out, which determined the rivals of the Russians in the first group stage. The Russians will have to measure their strength with the teams of Trinidad and Tobago, the USA, Azerbaijan, South Korea and Thailand.
The women's team has already begun preparations for the upcoming tournament. According to the coaching staff, the volleyball players want to repeat the current successes of the men's team, which recently confidently beat the national teams of the Netherlands and Italy, which were considered favorites of their fights.
Experts say that this year the women's team has a very strong line-up with good athletes, and the group in which the Russians will have to play is very passable. Of course, the US is not an easy contender and favorite of the group. Other teams can also become "dark horses" of the tournament. But the Russian national team has every reason to compete for the first place in the group and, as a result, for the medals of the World Championship.
Head of the Moscow Region club "Zarechye-Odintsovo".
The corresponding decision was made at the presidium (VFV). The second candidate for this post was the head coach of Kazan “Dynamo”.
Vacancy in the main team of the country
The post of head coach of the Russian women's national team became vacant at the end of November, when Konstantin Ushakov was dismissed. Under him, the Russian national team performed unsuccessfully at the 2017 European Championship, losing to the Turkish team in the quarterfinals and failing to win the tournament for the third time in a row. Vladimir Kuzyutkin, who was appointed head coach in February, began to prepare the Russian national team for the European Championship, and Ushakov then became the head coach.
Under the leadership of Kuzyutkin, the Russian team qualified for the 2018 World Cup, finished ninth out of 12 at the World Grand Prix, and finished fourth at the World Champions Cup, where six teams participated. Before the European Championship, the WWF announced a reshuffle in the coaching staff - Kuzyutkin and Ushakov changed places. Both coaches were dismissed in November.
According to the President of the All-Russian Federation Stanislav Shevchenko, both Pankov and Gilyazutdinov were worthy contenders. "I want to say that both candidates deserved the best words. After long debates and dialogues, they decided to appoint Pankov. The exact plan for the preparation of the national team has not yet been drawn up. The same coaching staff will remain to help (Pankov). We signed a contract with Pankov for two years," - Shevchenko told reporters.
Gilyazutdinov believes that he will still have the opportunity to lead the national team.
"Working in the Russian national team is very responsible. I think that I will still have the opportunity (to lead the national team). We will wait and see. I appreciate this decision of the All-Russian Federation. Vadim Anatolyevich is an excellent candidate for the post of head coach of the Russian national team. I have known him for a long time. For a long time, I understand the decision of the VFV, I fully accept this decision. Pankov has more experience, he has already worked in the national team, "Gilyazutdinov told RIA Novosti.
New coach waited 10 years for a chance
Pankov became a contender for the head coach of the women's national team back in 2008. Then, after the resignation of Italian coach Giovanni Caprara, Pankov led the national team in the qualifying tournament for the 2009 Grand Prix. At the beginning of 2009, he nominated himself, but the VFV presidium then made a choice in favor of Kuzyutkin.
After that, Pankov, whenever the position of the head coach of the national team became vacant, put forward his candidacy, but he was not given preference. In 2014, VFV appointed Pankov, who has established himself as a specialist in whom young players are making progress, as the head coach for preparing the reserve for the national team.
Pankov, after his appointment, spoke about the main tasks of the national team. "The task is to prepare for the Olympic Games and involve promising youth. At the 2018 World Cup, the task is to enter the final part of the tournament. This means to get to the semifinals and fight for medals," he told reporters.
The coach noted that it is too early to talk about who will be part of the national team.
"Everything will depend on the health of the players. Now we are not talking about the roster. Our task now is to keep track of how the candidates are playing, who to invite. The preparation plan is the same: the championship ends, the Champions League, and then the Nations Cup begins. There will be performances every time. new team (line-up), we will look at the players, "he said.
"We will trust young players"
Famous Russian coach, two-time Olympic champion, head coach of Uralochka-NTMK (Sverdlovsk region) Nikolai Karpol told RIA Novosti that he expects good results from the women's team with a new head coach.
"Vadim Anatolyevich has been working as a coach for a long time. And he became the champion of the country, and won the European Cup. We will wait for a good result from the Russian national team (under Pankov). At the same time, not everything depends on Pankov alone. The result also depends on the clubs, on the work of the federation," - said Karpol.
According to the President of the VFV, the new coach will combine work in the national team and in the club.
"During the presentation, Pankov focused on attracting young players. That is, before the Olympics, in three years we will have the opportunity to run young people. This was mentioned in Pankov's program, we will trust the young," Shevchenko said.
The Russian national volleyball team is the legal successor of the Soviet volleyball team. The first official match was held in 1993 in Moscow. At the moment, the team is ranked fifth in the FIVB ranking. The current coach of the national team is the former Soviet volleyball player Sergei Shlyapnikov. Sergey Tetyukhin played 320 matches with the Russian national volleyball team. This figure is the best among all the players of the national team who have ever defended its colors.
The current composition
At the moment, the team consists of thirteen volleyball players. The three central strikers are Vadim Likhosherstov for Fakel, Dmitry Shcherbinin for Dynamo Moscow and Lokomotiv volleyball player Ilyas Kurkaev.
The two tie players who made it to the Russian national volleyball team in the 2017 World League were Sergei Antipkin, the Dynamo Moscow player, and Ural player Dmitry Kovalev.
Also, the coaching staff of the team called three diagonal ones. They were Alexander Chefranov from the volleyball club "Gazprom-Yugra", volleyball player "Fakel" Alexander Kimerov and representative of "Belogorye" Maxim Zhigalov.
In 2017, Dmitry Volkov and Yegor Klyuka, defending the colors of the Fakel, as well as Ural volleyball player Yegor Feoktistov, will play the positions of sideplayers in the Russian national volleyball team. The coaching staff recruited Roman Martynyuk from Belogorye and Artem Zelenkov from the Dynamo-LO volleyball club to play the role of libero.
Matches
Since the spring of 1993, when the Russian team played its first official match after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the team took part in 653 matches. The rivals of the national team were volleyball players from 44 countries of the world. In total, the national team won 472 matches and lost 181 times.
The Russian athletes won the first game against the United States of America team in three games. The longest winning streak is 19 matches and the longest losing streak is 12 games.
Records
One of the famous Russian sports publications, together with the Volleyball Federation, has created two ratings: Club 200 and Club 2000. The first club included volleyball players of the national team, who played more than two hundred matches, and the second - athletes who scored over two thousand points.
There are eight athletes in the 200 Club. The first line is taken by Sergey Tetyukhin, who has defended the colors of the Russian national volleyball team since 1996. He played 320 matches on the court, 46 of which were in the Olympic Games, 21 matches in the World Championships, 46 games in the European Championships, 147 matches in the World League. Tetyukhin also took part in 34 World Cup matches, 24 selection matches for the Olympics, World Cup and European Championship, and also played 2 Euroleague matches. Sergey is the only player in the Russian national volleyball team who has held more than 300 meetings.
In second place is Alexey Kazakov, who played 276 matches. He is the leader in the number of meetings held in the World League (152 matches). Konstantin Ushakov took the third place with 254 games.
The 2000 Club includes 6 volleyball players. And Sergey Tetyukhin also takes the lead in this rating with 3002 points in the asset. He is the only volleyball player to score over 3000 points. Dmitry Fomin is in second place with 2762 points. The third is Ruslan Olikhver with 1113 points and 1342 serves.
The fourth place belongs to Maxim Mikhailov, who scored 2315 points. He is the only member of the 2000 Club to have a “0” in the “Serves won” column.
Achievements
The Russian volleyball team won their debut medal in 1999, taking first place in the World Cup. Three years later, the national team won their second gold. This time the World League submitted to the Russians. Also in 2002 they became silver medalists of the World Championship. In 2005, Russian athletes won the Euroleague.
The next medal had to wait for six long years. Only in 2011, the Russian national team was able to win the World League. Also volleyball players won the World Cup. In 2012, the Russians were able to achieve their main goal - they became the winners of the Olympic Games. In the finals of the London Olympics, Russia defeated the Brazilian national team in five games. Having lost the first two sets, the Russian athletes were able to pull themselves together and win the next two games. In the decisive set, the Russians were stronger than the South Americans, beating those with a score of 15: 9.
In 2013, the national team was in first place in the European Championship, the World Champions Cup and the World League. Since 2013, the Russians have not been able to win a single medal.
