Lokomotiv-Kuban: “We classify Elatontsev’s actions as a gross and unacceptable violation of contractual obligations”

Lokomotiv-Kuban published a statement in which it called the decision of basketball player Kirill Elatontsev to leave the team and go to the United States to participate in the NCAA student league as a gross violation of contractual obligations; the Krasnodar club sent appeals to Russian and international organizations regulating legal relations in basketball.

In November, Lokomotiv-Kuban announced that Elatontsev was likely faking signs of illness in order to avoid taking part in matches. Then the center left the club without permission. Last week, Match TV reported that Lokomotiv applied to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) in order to prohibit Elatontsev from moving within competitions under the auspices of the organization.

— In November, Elatontsev, who is under a valid long-term professional contract with the club until 2029 (the document was duly registered in the Russian Basketball Federation), voluntarily left the team. Subsequently, as the club learned from open sources, the player traveled to the United States to participate in the NCAA student league for the University of Oklahoma team.

The club classifies these actions of the player as a gross and unacceptable violation of contractual obligations, committed unilaterally and demonstrating open disregard for the norms of sports law and professional ethics. In this regard, Lokomotiv-Kuban, in full compliance with the regulations, took a comprehensive set of measures, sending official applications with a package of documents to Russian and international organizations regulating legal relations in basketball (RFB, FIBA, NCAA).

Currently, on this issue, the commission on the status of players of the RFB is considering an application to apply sports sanctions to Elatontsev, and the club’s statement of claim has also been accepted for consideration by the National Center for Sports Arbitration.

International standards that all sports entities must comply with have approved such a fundamental principle of labor relations in professional sports as “the stability of the athlete’s employment contract.” That is, regardless of the provisions of national legislation, the parties are obliged to fulfill the contract for the entire period for which it was concluded. Termination is possible only for valid reasons.

The current situation not only causes direct damage to the interests of the club, but also creates an extremely negative signal for the entire sports community. A dangerous “loophole” is being created that could provoke other young athletes to similar violations of contracts, jeopardizing the entire domestic system of training basketball reserves and the financial stability of clubs, academies and sports schools.

Lokomotiv-Kuban emphasizes that significant investments in player development made by Russian sports organizations cannot be unilaterally canceled in favor of the immediate personal interests of the athlete, his environment and in favor of foreign teams and leagues. “We intend to continue to vigorously defend our legal rights by all available means provided for by Russian legislation and international sports law, and to seek restoration of justice,” the statement said.

Elatontsev is 23 years old and made his debut for the main team of Lokomotiv-Kuban in 2021. The center was recognized as the best young player in the VTB United League for two seasons in a row.

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