World champion Fabian Drzyzga leaves Russia volleyball league side Lokomotiv Novosibirsk

   WARSAW, April 2 -- Poland setter Fabian Drzyzga has announced that he will leave Lokomotiv Novosibirsk after the club decided not to extend the contract of the two-time world champion.
   Lokomotiv were crowned champions after the Russian volleyball league season was prematurely terminated due to the coronavirus outbreak. Just a few days after the official decision was announced, Drzyzga was informed that he would not receive a contract extension.
   "Negotiations have been on hold for some time. We had two options, but the final conversation with the club was literally the day before we got information that the league is finished and Lokomotiv Novosibirsk were crowned Russian champions. The bosses of the club didn't hide anything from me, they frankly told me about team's plan for next season and admitted that they didn't see me in it. I respect them for having the courage to give me clear information and not deceive me or do it later in another way, for example by phone. We parted in mutual respect", Drzyzga said in an interview with Przeglad Sportwy.
   The Pole has been linked to several Russian and Italian clubs, and his representatives announced recently that the world champion would like to play in one of these two leagues. "I hope it will happen. For now I don't know for which team I will play", added the setter.
   Theoretically, it's not the end of the season for Lokomotiv. The team was set to play a rematch of the CEV Cup semi-final since the European Volleyball Federation has not made an official decision on whether to finish the European cups yet.
   "All players were allowed to leave Novosibirsk. Even if our contracts are valid until the end of May, I don't think that we would be able to gather the team again before the chaos caused by the coronavirus disappears. It has already been unreal for us to play in any competition this season", concluded Drzyzga.  Xinhua