HOLD, Belgorod!
When preparing for an epic in every sense of the World Cup in Russia, arose, as usual, some fuss about determining the immediate venues. What Russian city does not like to host the Mundial! When the sacred list was formed, many with bewilderment did not find Krasnodar in it.
Cities of the southern, football, with the ambitious Galician, developed fan culture and a ready-made unique Krasnodar stadium, having a higher, 4-th UEFA rating... How could this happen?! I don't want to offend anyone, but put Krasnodar and the same Saransk next to each other - the answer, it would seem that, obvious. But Krasnodar did not fall victim to Saransk, and Sochi with its Olympic infrastructure and the need to revive the Fisht stadium. Two cities of the same subject of the Federation cannot host the World Cup! We chose Sochi.
Championship, as we all remember well, was a great success, organizationally too. And Krasnodar has not disappeared anywhere from the country’s football map, the club finished the Russian championship 2019 year with bronze medals, Champions League debut ahead. Life goes on as usual. Did Krasnodar deserve the World Cup?? certainly. Was it a shame for the local fans?? For sure. Did this affect the development of football in Krasnodar?? Not.
But with the same Saransk - questions. The infrastructure of Sochi continues to be stretched - they created a Premier League club there, which the, by the way, just the other day I lost devastatingly at that same Krasnodar with the score 0:3.
Direct parallels and analogies with the upcoming Volleyball World Championship 2022 of the year, of course, does not work. But the situation with Belgorod, caught overboard, in some places it is still very reminiscent of the story with Krasnodar. What's the difference?? Belgorod is a much more honored city in volleyball, than Krasnodar is in football. For many years he was, in fact, the epicenter of the Russian flying ball, base of the national team. There is a modern palace there, true, just under construction, but there's no doubt, that it will be completed in time for the World Cup. And what's the matter?
Choosing cities is a delicate matter, strategically important. There are a huge number of nuances. Among others, it is a tool for rewarding those who deserve. Or stimulating promising. Often you have to choose one thing.
But let's start with geography. Judging by the outlines of the existing list, then the bet is placed on three regional clusters - Siberia, Ural and Volga region, central Russia. Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Kemerovo – once, Kazan, Ufa, Yekaterinburg – two, Moscow, Peter, Kaliningrad, Yaroslavl - three. In Europe there is a slight overkill, where Belgorod didn’t fit in - why don’t you like the analogy with Krasnodar and Sochi?
But why Belgorod??
Arguments that come to mind are:: Yaroslavl is quite a volleyball city with history, but there are problems with financing. Why does the local club hang between the Super League and Major League A?, and the matches take place in the frankly outdated Atlanta. The World Cup is an incentive for the region to get moving. Kaliningrad? There is infrastructure there, but there is no men's volleyball - stimulation in its purest form. There is no point in discussing Moscow and St. Petersburg.
The same model of work for the future is visible with Krasnoyarsk, Kemerovo, Ufoy, Yekaterinburg. In the case of Kemerovo, World Cup games could become part of the deal for the painless transfer of Tuomas Sammelvuo to Zenit St. Petersburg, but this is a conspiracy theory, so we don't consider it.
As a result, we should see an impetus in the development of volleyball in the above-mentioned territories: new palaces will be built somewhere, somewhere on the existing base real life will blossom. If so, then the strategy is clear and justified. Just have to wait 2022 of the year, or better yet, look, what will happen after the world championship.
A Belgorod, like Krasnodar in football, became a victim of his own success. There's nothing to stimulate. In any case, a new palace will be built there, and there was great volleyball in the city, is and will be. Reasoning cynically: What then is the profit from holding the World Cup in Belgorod?? For fans, the club, yes to the whole city and region - of course, it's a shame. But these are emotions and everyone’s personal history. The current big sport, and volleyball including, – this is a business, wherein, as known, nothing personal.
Belgorod, certainly, deserves to host World Cup games more than others. from command, but that's why it's not on the list. Finally I would like to say, that choice is always difficult. You always have to sacrifice something and someone. Therefore it is extremely important, so that they don't do it for you. I'm sure, that Belgorod, like Surgut, made my choice a long time ago. And he was and remains the only correct one.
