Players threatened to boycott games for Ukraine's national team, demanding the return of their former coach – UVF president.

The president of the Ukrainian Volleyball Federation (UVF), Mykhailo Melnyk, said that several national team players blackmailed him over personnel decisions. At the same time, there is no open conflict between the national team management and the players.

According to Melnyk, all the refuseniks say they are sick. The head of the Volleyball Federation suggests that this is how the players want to rest after exhausting performances for the club.

"Another reason is probably related to the new head coach. Ugis Kristins was the coach of the Ukrainian national team for seven years. In recent years, his team did not show the appropriate results, and the relevant Ministry (taking into account the opinion of the Football Federation) did not extend his contract. The new head coach started work two weeks ago. And some players insisted on the return of Krastins, otherwise, they threatened to refuse to play for the national team, "SportExpress" quoted Mykhailo Melnyk as saying.

Melnyk believes that you shouldn't go for the respect of volleyball players.

"Argentine Raul Lozano is one of the top 10 volleyball coaches in the world. He came to us from Japan to help Ukraine in a difficult period for the country, he said. Also, our leading volleyball players were constantly in conflict over the prize money for participating in the Euroleague. Although the UVF has not taken a single euro for itself over the years, but gives everything to the national teams," added the UVF president.

Melnyk does not doubt that the "refuseniks" will be replaced in the Ukrainian national team.

"On May 18, the Ukrainian national team will start in the Euroleague. Several leading players made a demarche before it, although this has been going on since last year. There will be new players in the national team. As you know, "the holy place is never empty," the head of Ukrainian volleyball summarized.

Earlier, Melnyk said that the new head coach of the Ukrainian national volleyball team, Raul Lozano, was "in a trance" because the leaders of the "yellow and blue" team refused to come to the training camp. Before the debut season of the Golden Euroleague, the Argentine was given a "different" team than he expected to assemble before the first May matches.

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Volleyball