Financial Crisis on the Eve of Volleyball League: Mes Rafsanjan and Esteghlal in Limbo

On the eve of the start of the Volleyball Premier League, the financial problems of Mes Rafsanjan and Esteghlal, along with uncertainty over Esteghlal’s home venue, are affecting both teams.

On the eve of the start of the Premier League of Volleyball, the financial problems of Mes Rafsanjan and Esteghlal and the uncertainty in determining the host of Esteghlal have affected the conditions of the two teams.

According to a Mehr reporter, in the few days before the start of the Iran Volleyball Premier League on October 29, the conditions for some teams have been accompanied by challenges. Mes Rafsanjan has faced budget cuts and the departure of a number of key players, and Esteghlal, in addition to financial problems, is still waiting to determine its host location.

Mes Rafsanjan with the reduction of the budget and the separation of the stars

Mes Rafsanjan volleyball team, which attracted attention a few months ago by recruiting prominent players such as Yusuf Kazemi, Mohammad Reza Hazratpour, Babak Fayazi, Mohammad Amin Heydari, Amirreza Sarlak and two foreign players, has faced the serious challenge of budget reduction this season.

According to the statement of the CEO of the club, the players who had joined this team before, must accept a significant reduction in their wages in order to continue their cooperation. An issue that has led to the separation of some of them and their joining other teams. In this situation, Kambiz Yaqoubi has taken over the leadership of Mes Rafsanjan volleyball team.

In a conversation with Mehr reporter, Jabar Ghochannejad, while confirming the financial problems and budget reduction of the Mes Rafsanjan club, said about the possibility of this team withdrawing from the Premier League: "We have also heard this and it seems that the club is looking to reduce and manage costs." However, we have not been told anything about withdrawing from the league and I think the team will compete with cost management.

Esteghlal is involved in financial problems and hosting uncertainty

The Esteghlal volleyball team has also faced serious challenges on the eve of the tournament. This team, which returned to the Premier League last season with the representation of Gonbad after many years of absence, failed to meet expectations. Esteghlal has entered the competition for the new season by recruiting several key players and choosing Rahman Mohammadirad as the head coach and has started training in Mashhad about a month ago. However, according to what has been heard, the non-payment of the players' demands has led to the suspension of training and the strike of Mohammadi Rad's students; An event that can affect the preparation process of this team on the eve of the start of the league.

In addition to financial problems, determining the place to host Esteghlal has also become one of the concerns of this team. While there are speculations about continuing to host in Mashhad or returning to the Gonbad, Milad Taghavi, the head of the volleyball federation, had previously announced that the hosting status of this team has not yet been decided.

Guchannejad, in the continuation of his conversation with Mehr reporter, said about the latest status of hosting Esteghlal: We will determine the status of hosting Esteghlal within the next two to three days. This matter should be determined as soon as possible and on the eve of the start of the competition, and we are also following it. Last year, Esteghlal entered the Premier League from Gonbad, and this year, a city must be chosen as the host from Mashhad and Gonbad.

The hosting floor is heavier in favor of the dome

Mehr reporter's follow-ups indicate that according to the existing memorandum, the payment of players' contracts was the responsibility of Esteghlal Club, and the provision of hotel, accommodation, catering and travel expenses was also the responsibility of Khorasan Razavi province. However, it seems that the club's non-fulfillment of financial obligations and non-payment of other expenses by this province have complicated the situation for this team and led to uncertainty in determining the host location.

On the other hand, rumors indicate that the dome has provided part of the expenses to support this team; The issue that has made the chance of hosting Gonbad seems more than Mashhad in the current situation. However, the final decision about where to host Esteghlal is going to be announced in the coming days; A decision that will be very important for the planning and preparation of this team, considering that the start of the Premier Volleyball League is near.