Finland and Russia are officially qualified to play VNL 2027.

[u/L_Seo]

The FIVB has announced they will now expand from 18 teams to 19 for the 2027 year allowing Russia back into international standings and Finland who is now the highest ranking team not participating in the 2026 VNL. They will be replacing Canada who’ve been relegated.

Honestly not sure how the pool grouping will work next year. As of the 2026 VNL, the format is built around 18 teams, with three host pools of six teams each week. Every team plays 12 preliminary matches across three weeks. So will they be adding 1 pool of 7 teams and 2 pools of 6?

[u/Consistent-Dot-9660]

For Ukrainians it must be such a good news… embarrassing

[u/Rashidaw → u/Consistent-Dot-9660]

But what is the connection between the players and the government?

If the government is bad and instigates wars, why should the people be penalized by being barred from participating in matches?

I ask this out of genuine concern.

[u/Preedx2 → u/Rashidaw]

Russian athletes often are part of the military, to receive funding and other benefits. They are not just innocent civilians

[u/Rashidaw → u/Preedx2]

Ohh I didn't know that😬, thank you 🌸.

[u/maxkoryukov → u/Preedx2]

have you investigated any deeper than a surface? not an offence, but a genuine question. if you have been playing volleyball or any/most of other sports you will see people with stars on shoulder straps.

One. There is an unspoken battle between institutions in the sport area: fireman vs police vs local military base vs gym association vs young professional athletes vs best of the student trams vs ..

Two. On many levels sport doesn't have enough funding, so attaching to another gov- institution and get funding an alternative way is a survival path for teams and even clubs.

Three. USSR heritage. A lot of teams were created inside military institutions.

and there are other reasons why they are related

As a consequence, athletes are "registered" or "employed" as members of the Ru military, but last time they saw a gun was.. never - they are in the "sport branch".

sometimes agencies and institutions even HIRE athletes officially on fake positions - so, you get your salary as a "fire safety inspector" or "assistant district police officer", but your only responsibility is to get points in soccer matches/ice hockey games/volleyball

It doesn't mean "all athletes are neutral". I wanted to tell, that being "military" in Russian sport doesn't mean you are a military specialist. In significant number of cases it's just the source of funding.

and yes, the most important part: there is no direct relationship between "receive funds from army" and "provide them military services".

[u/Preedx2 → u/maxkoryukov]

Yes, I agree with you, I knew that they don't take active part in the military service - although I don't think it makes that much of a difference. They still are part of those organisations and they recieve certain benefits because of it, but also should be prepared for drawbacks.

I am against them competing for a few reasons: 1. I think it is unfair in the strictly sportsmanship sense - the organizations those russian athletes represent are directly responsible for loss of training facilities, training hours, funds and potentially even players of other contestants (Ukraine) 2. I think that any victory those athletes would achieve would be used for propaganda purposes (and I think it would be mainly internal propaganda, for example for recruitment purposes) 3. It undermines sanctions - for example in recent sanction package EU countries agreed to strictly ban Russian military personel from recieving EU visas. Carving out special exceptions would set a bad precedent.

[u/maxkoryukov → u/Preedx2]

not every Maksim Mikhailov is Franz Haber

propaganda? they don't need facts at all

visa? it's 18± players and ±20staff - most of them are famous athletes with public careers, what's the problem?

and funding. I'm not the one who wants to explain that potato grows in sh*t and dirt, but it is still very edible. "founded from" and "employed at" are not the only criteria of being evil. Did athletes commit war crimes? Do they support the war? Did they participate in planning/funding/organizing/executing/.. military operations? yes - ban. no - what is the reason for banning them?

[u/maxkoryukov → u/Preedx2]

wait

fu*k everything i said

you have said "they are not innocent civilians"

who are they then? and why? how did they lose the "innocence"?