The final series of the Russian women’s volleyball championship has become a real decoration of the season. The confrontation lasted for all five matches, in the decisive game the winner was revealed only in the fifth set. But, as often happens, a barrel of honey was not without a fly in the ointment. The head coach of Kaliningrad Lokomotiv Andrei Voronkov allowed himself a rude statement with racist overtones against the Uralochka volleyball player.

Unacceptable behavior for a professional! Now for the “monkey” will have to answer.

Racist and disgrace

“Why are you catching that monkey again?” the coach emotionally asked his Valeria Zaitseva.

Andrey Voronkov, the coach of Lokomotiv Kaliningrad, said these words during a time-out at the end of the third set, when, after the block of the Cuban player Ailama Sese, the score became 21:18 in favor of the Ural team. Perhaps the mentor wanted to convey his message in a rude form only to Zaitseva, beforehand he took the volleyball player aside. But the words have become public. The live broadcast was conducted by the Match TV federal channel, and therefore what was said in the heat of the sports confrontation immediately caused a scandal.

“Still, Andrey Gennadievich should make a public apology,” the press service of Uralochka-NTMK wrote in the Telegram channel in hot pursuit.

Later, the general director of Uralochka, Valentina Ogienko, spoke much harsher about Voronkov’s words about Ailama Sese in an interview with Match TV.

“This is an international scandal. Surely this broadcast was watched in Cuba, the leaders of the local volleyball federation – 100%. You can’t miss this. The WFV should sort this out. It is also impossible to miss this for the Lokomotiv team, the club management and not only the club. Andrei Voronkov must officially apologize to Ailama. Even if not in front of us, but in front of the girl. This should happen publicly, just as it was publicly throughout the country.

Andrey Voronkov / Photo: © RIA Novosti / Pavel Bednyakov

— I didn’t hear it, I was in the game with my team. Since this really happened, and it is on video, it is very bad. In any case, you need to apologize, ”Nikolai Karpol, the head coach of Uralochka-NTMK, commented on the episode in an interview with Match TV.

The two-time world champion in volleyball, now the general manager of the Russian women’s team, Lyubov Sokolova, tried to treat the coach’s act with understanding, but still she considered it necessary to apologize after what was said.

Voronkov didn’t mean anything bad. Perhaps he didn’t learn the girl’s name very well. One way or another, you need to be more prepared and emotionally stable for a particular situation, so as not to get into a mess. We must apologize to the girl, say that it’s not from evil, ”Match TV quotes Sokolova.

“Coach Voronkov is a racist!” This is clear to everyone! He must be kicked out of the profession with a bang! Just a disgrace! — commentator Dmitry Guberniev wrote in his personal Telegram channel.

Open video

VFV will analyze the moment

You can probably understand the emotions of the coach, nevertheless, the most important game of the year with such a valid scenario – Lokomotiv won two sets, but began to miss the game in the third. However, all these circumstances do not justify Voronkov. To allow yourself such statements is simply unacceptable. And not only because there is clearly a racist odor here, but in principle it is inappropriate to hang insulting labels on rivals.

Of course, no one will take away the victory from Lokomotiv because of the stupidity of the coach, but Voronkov personally may have problems. A large fine and disqualification is something that the coach of the Kaliningrad team can expect in the near future. And, judging by the words of the general director of the VFV, Mikhail Podlozny, no one intends to put the brakes on the episode.

– If this information is confirmed, we, of course, will analyze this moment. Do you remember the recent case when we disqualified the head coach of Proton Yuri Marichev for a certain gesture, which was applied for by the match inspector. And the disciplinary commission of the VFV punished Marichev with a disqualification for 3 matches and a suspended sentence for 2 years, Podlozny said in an interview with Match TV.

Andrey Voronkov / Photo: © VK “Uralochka”

A thoughtless statement could interfere with Voronkov in his future career. If the reaction of the WFV is tough enough, then the Russian clubs will have to think hard before offering a contract to a potentially problematic coach. And there is no doubt that some foreign volleyball players now hardly want to work under this specialist. So Voronkov will definitely answer for the “monkey”.