11/04/2021 22:00
Dinamo MOSCOW crowned Russian champions for first time in 13 years!
News from the National Federations
Moscow, Russia, April 11, 2021. In a repeat of the CEV Cup gold medal match, Dinamo MOSCOW beat again Zenit SAINT PETERSBURG 3-1 (25-21, 25-18, 23-25, 26-24) to claim the Russian national league title for the first time in as many as 13 years! Dinamo had previously triumphed in 2006 and 2008. This victory accounts for Dinamo’s third title this season – after the Muscovites previously claimed the Russian Cup as well as the CEV Cup.
Dinamo took the first two sets with much confidence, lost the third after a close fight and wasted their early advantage in the fourth set, where Zenit fought their way back before the Muscovites had the upper hand in a few drama-filled final rallies.
Konstantin Brianskii, head coach of Dinamo MOSCOW: “This is a big day for Dinamo, for the club, for the fans. Everyone was hungry for victories, missed such trophies very much and we remained focussed until the very last rally. It is surprising that we contested all three trophies with the same rival, Zenit SAINT PETERSBURG, and in this regard, the championship final had additional intrigue. Zenit played well, fought for every point, but today we were stronger.”
Dinamo MOSCOW finish the 2020-2021 season with as many as three titles to their name
Tsvetan Sokolov, opposite hitter of Dinamo: “This season turned out to be very successful for us - we won the CEV Cup, the championship and the Cup of Russia. I cannot say that Zenit is the most convenient opponent for us, since these were all very difficult games. There are players there who can take risks and secure a victory for their team. It was not easy in the fourth set, when the Zenit players began to take risks with their serve. We did stick together and waited for our moment. We waited and eventually won.”
Pavel Pankov received the award for the MVP of the Russian league after securing the very same award in the #CEVCupM finals as well
Pavel Pankov, captain of Dinamo and MVP of the Russian league: “Our performance in the fourth set was key to the outcome of the match. It was hard to deal with Ivan Podrebinkin’s serve, but with teamwork, we were able to achieve another victory. Our opponent was a star-studded team, and it is amazing that we were able to win all eight matches we played against Zenit this season. I want to thank the team - without my teammates, there would be no victories, and there would be no such progress. Now we will have a little rest before we start training with the Russian national team.”
Tuomas Sammelvuo, head coach of Zenit SAINT PETERSBURG: “I feel proud of our team. We lost very close sets, that is true, but nobody knows but us how difficult the season was. I would like to congratulate Dinamo - they are great fellows and have had a brilliant season. I do not want to be sad after this defeat, even though we were close to taking the fourth set. As for the national team, we will rest for a couple of days and start working soon.”
In the match for the third place, Lokomotiv NOVOSIBIRSK beat Kuzbass KEMEROVO 3-1 (24-26, 25-23, 25-13, 25-21) to claim the third and last spot at stake to represent Russia in the 2022 edition of the elite CEV Champions League. Kuzbass KEMEROVO will contest the CEV Cup, while Zenit KAZAN, who finished in a very disappointing fifth place, will play the Challenge Cup.
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