Verbov spoke about the first Zenit volleyball championship in five years

The head coach of Kazan “Zenith” Alexei Verbov said that it is not the championship that is an indicator of the team’s success for him, but how the work proceeds during the season.

On May 7, Zenit defeated Dynamo Moscow 3–2 in the third match of the final playoff series to win the Russian Championship for the 11th time. Zenit became the champion for the first time since 2018.

– I would not separate this championship from other titles earned as an athlete or coach. Of course, the emotions were great, and first of all, you understand that the work done was not in vain, a lot of effort was invested in it. Always these first moments – the realization of what is happening – bring joy. But not for long, to be honest: during the first week, while congratulations are coming, we note that this is in sight – you live it. Then everything fades into the background, you reboot. If we are talking about the championship – there is a vacation, if we are talking about cups, then after a few days you enter a new mode of operation.

For me, the championship is not an indicator of the team’s success. These are every second, every minute, maximum weekly pleasant sensations. But globally, we work for a whole year, we all live together. Much more important is how the season goes, how the team is moving in the right direction, how much everyone wants to be in a team, work, play, help each other.

We didn’t win the championship last year, but I felt the same way about the season. Of course, the colors are different – after victory or defeat. But if we take a global term – how long the season lasts – it is important for me that everything works like clockwork. What, in general, and strive. The course of the season is more important to me than the end result. I am convinced that if you build the process, relationships in the team correctly, in the end, the titles will not go anywhere from you, – Verbov told the Championship.

Also in the 2022/23 season, Zenit won the Russian Cup, and the club’s volleyball players as part of the Tatarstan national team won the Spartakiad.