“This is irresponsibility”: how Russia reacted to Kuznetsov’s disqualification for cocaine use

“We do not have the ability to control athletes”

The news of the disqualification of the striker of the Russian national team Yevgeny Kuznetsov became the central topic of the day in the world of sports.

The IIHF statement did not go unnoticed by sports functionaries and departments of Russia. So, the Ministry of Sports reacted to the message about the discovery of cocaine in the blood of a Russian hockey player. In particular, the head of the department, Pavel Kolobkov, focused on the fact that it was problematic for the Russian side to monitor the health status of Kuznetsov.

“We do not have the ability to control athletes who leave Russia at a young age, where there is a completely different culture. In Russia, serious work is being done to combat doping, starting with awareness-raising activities in children's sports schools and ending with specific punishments, such as, for example, removing coaches from work, ”the minister said.

In addition, according to Kolobkov, the incident will not affect the work of the Russian Hockey Federation and the national team.

An official statement by the FHR itself states that the use of prohibited substances is excluded in the disposition of the national team. The federation said they would closely monitor developments.

“Arriving on the team, athletes are under the constant supervision of specialists, therefore the use of prohibited substances in the location of the Russian team is excluded. The FHR will closely monitor the development of events and will take all necessary measures in accordance with the WADA code, all-Russian anti-doping rules and IIHF requirements, ”the FHR press release says.

In RUSADA, four-year removal of Kuznetsov from international competitions was called logical. At the same time, Margarita Pakhnotskaya, deputy director general of the organization, noted that such a severe punishment can be explained by the high concentration of the drug in the sample.

“The hockey player suffered a standard punishment, for violation of paragraph 2.1 of the World Anti-Doping Code, the disqualification is four years. If you recall the volleyball player Pavel Moroz, who was punished with a half term penalty for such a violation, then he found a small concentration of the prohibited substance. Frost's lawyers were able to prove that the use itself was in the non-competitive period, ”Pakhnotskaya quotes TASS.

"Young guys do not always think what they are doing."

Representatives of the coaching workshop are sure that cocaine got into the body of a hockey player even before the start of the World Cup in Slovakia. So, the ex-coach of the national team, Vladimir Plyushchev, in a conversation with RT suggested that the player could have committed a violation of the regime during the rest, which preceded his arrival in Novogorsk.

“The whole thing was used on vacation, nothing similar happened in the location of the Russian team. Not like drugs, not even alcohol. Obviously, residual phenomena were discovered in him, ”the coach expressed his version.

At the same time, Plushenko expressed confidence that drug use was single.

“Young guys do not always think what they are doing. Sometimes they want to prove something to someone without thinking about the serious consequences. Maybe he fell under the influence of the people who surrounded him at that moment. One way or another, this is a lesson both for him and for others, ”the specialist noted.

In addition, according to the coach, the disqualification of Kuznetsov could adversely affect not only the international career of the player, but also the Russian team as a whole.

“Western media can take advantage of this. Now they will hint that in our team almost every second player is involved in this. Such stuffing is already familiar to us at the Olympics in Sochi. It will be difficult to prove innocence. The wife will have to prove her purity, possibly initiate some checks herself to show that he does not have any residual components, ”the expert summed up.

Another famous domestic specialist, Fyodor Kanareikin, called the disqualification of Kuznetsov a serious loss for the national team.

“This is our talented hockey player. In sports terms, it is a pity to lose such a master for a long time. There will be no words if we lose such a hockey player in the prime of life and career. We clean and purposefully work in this direction, we work hard. What else needs to be done? These are broken fates, ”quoted Kanareykina News.ru.

"Spit towards the national team"

Two-time Olympic champion Vyacheslav Fetisov believes that Kuznetsov’s irresponsible behavior could strike a blow at the image of the national team.

“In our shared doping story, all this is very bad. Everything seemed to become normal, and here it is! Just a disgrace. This is human irresponsibility. If there are problems, then you don’t have to go to the national team, you have nothing to do there, ”RIA Novosti quoted Fetisov as saying.

Alexander Kozhevnikov took an even tougher stance. The two-time Olympic champion said that the leadership of the FHR should take a principled position and even after the end of the disqualification, do not call the striker in the national team.

“WADA crushes us on all fronts, and he makes such a spit in the direction of the national team, of his guys with whom he played. The mildest definition is irresponsibility. I would not count on him in the future. Firstly, young people will grow up in four years. And secondly, if you spit in the face, and you want to wipe yourself, well, wipe yourself ... I do not understand this. Yes, he is a good player. But you see, showed that he has inside. He’s not thinking about anything. My pleasure is above all, ”Sport Express quotes Kozhevnikov.

Honored Coach of Russia Boris Mikhailov also noted that Kuznetsov was in this situation through his fault. Moreover, according to the expert, the national team in his absence will not become weaker.

“Career in the national team? Kuznetsov should be asked what was he thinking about? That's all. Yes, Zhenya is a good guy, but since everything turned out like this, now he will observe from the side, I do not see any tragedy in this. Each adult is responsible for his actions, ”Mikhailov quotes the“ Championship ”.

Honored Master of Sports of Russia Alexander Guskov suggested how the NHL could react to what happened.

“Neither WADA nor the International Hockey Federation are subordinate to the NHL. Therefore, the league will look on its own, a serious topic. They don’t really like drugs there, but there’s no doping as such, ”Metro quoted Guskov as saying.