Andrey Vedishchev: "Yelatontsev

The situation around the departure of Lokomotiv Kuban alumnus Kirill Yelatontsev to CSKA has once again shaken Russian basketball. The club that had nurtured the player since he was 14 and had him under a valid professional contract is now out of business. Championat.com correspondents spoke with Andrey Vedishchev, president of PBC Lokomotiv-Kuban, member of the RBF Executive Committee, to get to the bottom of this strange story, which has been going on for almost a year.

Let's start from the beginning. How and when did this conflict begin?: This story began last summer. The management of one of Russia's top clubs, our direct competitor, decided to act behind our back. They arranged a meeting with Kirill Yelatontsev and his wife, where they offered him a truly exorbitant contract, knowing full well it was a scam. The main goal was clear: to entice the player with a large sum, weaken us, and destabilize the situation within our team. It's important to understand that Yelatontsev already had a very substantial contract at Lokomotiv by the standards of a young player, perhaps the largest in the league in terms of the sum for his age. And this happened despite the fact that everyone knew Yelatontsev had a valid long-term contract registered with the Russian Basketball Federation. This meant that any negotiations in this situation had to be conducted strictly officially, via the club. From that moment on, the situation transcended the legal framework and became a backroom operation. "Interested" parties and "right" people immediately appeared around the player, plotting Yelatontsev's departure from his contract with Lokomotiv. They felt impunity, knowing their actions were outside the official framework, meaning they were unlikely to face serious liability. Moreover, lawyers were brought in to help. After reviewing the transfer status and the RBF regulations, they realized there were virtually no regulations punishing this kind of manipulation, so they decided to take advantage of this.
Youmean, during this period, Loko didn’t receive any offers from other clubs for Yelatontsev’s transfer?: It was, but not officially, a phone call from one of the executives at a major club offering to sell them Yelatontsev. But we didn't take this offer seriously, as he had recently signed a long-term contract with us. We didn't reach an agreement because we were interested in continuing our relationship with Yelatontsev and were counting on him for the future. At the time, Kirill was just beginning to show he could become a serious player. We saw him as one of the team's leaders and a necessary part of our rotation. We also received contact from some of the player's representatives, who called themselves agents but had no proper licenses, and expressed interest in Yelatontsev's transfer to the NCAA. But we didn't take it seriously.
What happened then?: Then, strange things began. Yelatontsev returned to the club after his summer vacation as if nothing had happened and went with the team to training camp. He began training, and in conversations with me, the head coach and the club staff, he told me that his summer ordeal was over, that he was focused on the season with Lokomotiv, and that he wanted to be part of our team. In the press before the start of the season, he declared that Lokomotiv Kuban was a second family to him, that Krasnodar had become his true hometown, and that he felt great at our club. But, as subsequent events revealed, this was nothing more than a deliberate pause to prepare the script and documents for his escape to America. What happened next, is already well-known: the escape took place. Before the start of the season, Yelatontsev suffered an injury, his recovery began, and then the club's medical staff, responsible for his rehabilitation, cleared him for full training and games. But the player showed a clear reluctance to return and play. After some time, we received a resignation letter, a "fabricated" illness, a secret departure from Krasnodar, and a visit to a medical facility in St. Petersburg... And all of this was accompanied by a sponsored information campaign in several sports media outlets, portraying the club as the usurper and the player as the victim.
At the beginning of the conflict, did the RBF or the VTB United League somehow make their position clear?: To my deep regret, the leaders of our basketball community, other than comments in the press, hasn't seriously responded to what's happening, which still leaves me genuinely perplexed. Although I spoke with RBF President Andrei Kirilenko several times in December 2025 and conveyed our position to him, hoping he would make responsible decisions. But none followed. Ultimately, we ourselves appealed to the RBF, demanding that disciplinary sanctions be imposed on Yelatontsev. According to FIBA international rules, leaving a team without valid reason is grounds for disciplinary action and a ban on transfers to other clubs. But what did the RBF Player Status Commission do? Nothing. They simply ignored the circumstances surrounding the termination of his sports contract, and subsequently, citing certain legal conflicts, declared Yelatontsev a free agent.
What does this mean?: Our point is, this is absurd. A player who left a club and terminated a contract without proper cause should automatically be granted restricted free agent status pending any further investigation. However, the RBF didn't consider this a significant matter: it failed to conduct an investigation, failed to impose disciplinary sanctions, and avoided determining his status, not allowing the club to appeal the disciplinary action to the National Center for Arbitration for Sport (NCSA). On the contrary, this allowed the player to violate the most important document in professional sports—his contract. In our opinion, the federation facilitated Yelatontsev's illegal departure to the NCAA by failing to restrict his status.
Explain to the readers: what exactly is absurd in this situation?: Look, Yelatontsev resigned in accordance with the Labor Code of Russian Federation—like an ordinary employee of any organization—by submitting a letter of resignation. But under the terms of his sports contract, drawn up in accordance with FIBA rules, he was obligated to Lokomotiv until 2029. In professional sports, a contract is the most important document. Sports contracts can be terminated, but only by mutual agreement and, consequently, by receiving a release letter from the club. FIBA regulations establish the obligation to fulfil contractual obligations. This applies both to a club, which cannot simply fire a player, and to a player, who cannot terminate a contract without proper cause for the sole purpose of transferring to another club. If you flagrantly violate this FIBA rule, you have no right to play basketball at the professional level, at least not in a FIBA-sanctioned championship. And for sure, you have no right to legally re-enter the same championship you fled. You may playing at the amateur level–in the Media League, and so on. You can work in any other industry except for one field–you have no right to be a professional basketball player. For example, in football or hockey, such a situation is impossible. In the KHL, a player has 16 months to unilaterally terminate a contract. Why Russian basketball still applies regulations that allow players to circumvent their contractual obligations with impunity is a question for the RBF directorate.
But Yelatontsev left for America, to the league that is not FIBA-sanctioned...: In my opinion, the whole story with the NCAA and the Oklahoma Sooners was a sham deal, a smokescreen used by the player to first exit his contract and then declare his intention to continue playing under the auspices of the RBF. I do not believe that a 24-year-old could seriously interest anyone in the NCAA. He spent only two and a half months there. He left for a college league because a release letter from the club isn't required, as that league isn't under FIBA jurisdiction. It was a way to evade his contractual obligations and FIBA rules. And the RBF, by not imposing disciplinary sanctions on the player, essentially facilitated this.
Have you tried to get financial compensation for Yelatontsev?: Of course. If compensation for early termination is not specified in the contract and the parties have not reached an agreement on its amount, it is determined by arbitration, which in Russia is performed by the National Center for Arbitration for Sport (NCSA). Seeing the RBF's inaction, we initiated a financial dispute with the NCSA, where we were ultimately awarded compensation that was approximately 25 times less than what we expected. The NCSA completely ignored our long-term investment in the player's development or his potential transfer value. The amount compensated to date bears no resemblance to the player's market value or the principles of transfer payments.
And what happened after the arbitration decision?: To date, only the operative part of the court's decision is issued. It determined the aforementioned amount, which fully satisfied the player and his representatives, but also completely dissatisfied us. After this, Yelatontsev, without waiting for the court's reasoning, appealed to the RBF, demanding that he be granted free agent status. We, in turn, submitted a full assessment of the situation to the RBF Commission. The club also provided the RBF with documents showing Yelatontsev's collaboration with unlicensed agents, which also constitutes a serious violation. Given these circumstances and the lack of a reasoning, we petitioned not to make any decisions regarding his status. However, the RBF once again ignored our petition, siding with the player and, contrary to all FIBA principles, granting him free agent status. Thus, the athlete, who grossly violated his contract, faced no disciplinary action, and the federation legitimized these violations. We believe the RBF demonstrated a purely formal approach, conducted no investigation, and refused to examine the situation in depth, while calling our arguments "conditional." Essentially, relying only on a partial review of the financial dispute, the RBF allowed Yelatontsev to sign a contract with CSKA, a club with which we are competing for the VTB United League championship.
Do you think that the actions of the RBF Commission were formalistic?: Absolutely. We were faced with the fact that our arguments were simply ignored when a crucial issue was being considered. This development is disappointing, and most importantly, it sets a precedent for similar actions in the future. By allowing the player to transfer to another club and play in the VTB United League, the RBF legitimized his actions and showed young players that they can violate contractual obligations without serious consequences. Lokomotiv Kuban had nurtured this player since he was 14, invested their heart and soul in him, and planned to build our future around him. But he turned out to be a traitor and, after spending time in America, calmly transferred to our main competitors with the federation's permission. CSKA, meanwhile, took advantage of this situation and acquired a ready-made player absolutely for free. Therefore, Yelatontsev's transfer to CSKA is a consequence of the RBF's failure to take disciplinary action. Let me repeat, this situation could have been stopped at the very beginning of the conflict if the federation had shown firmness and stood up for the principle of contract stability, which is enshrined in all FIBA regulatory and governing documents.
Is there still any way to influence the situation?: The RBF regulations lack clear rules, and the documents are drafted in such a way that a formal approach can evade responsibility and avoid punishment commensurate with the severity of the violation. As a member of the RBF Executive Committee, I believe it is necessary to establish a working group in the near future to bring the documents into compliance with modern requirements. Behind the scenes, everyone admits that Lokomotiv Kuban is right. Everyone understands what happened, but no one wants to take responsibility and adhere to the principles of fairness. For example, ahead of the VTB United League bidding campaign, players are required to obtain a release letter from their club, which fully complies with all FIBA rules and principles. Moreover, both the RBF and the VTB United League are accredited and under the auspices of FIBA. It's unacceptable for one club to acquire a talented and two-time Russian Young Player of the Year award without any compensation, simply exploiting loopholes in the regulations, while another club, which developed this basketball player, is left with nothing. We're not demanding anything special—we're demanding compliance with Fair Play rules, which, as everyone knows, take precedence in any sport.
Does Yelatontsev's transfer to CSKA start a new conflict?: We have no conflict with CSKA. I've spoken about this several times with its president Andrei Vatutin and made my position clear. I asked for solidarity and understanding. For us, the matter is definitely not over. If anyone thought we agreed with the RBF's decision and accepted Yelatontsev's transfer to CSKA as a given and resigned ourselves to it, that's not the case. The t's are far from settled. We know who commissioned this show. We apparently have a greater understanding of the gravity of the situation and a stronger sense of morality. We will continue to defend our rights and, to a certain extent, the interests of Russian basketball.
Do you think this could set a precedent for similar actions in the future?: Definitely yes. The RBF's inaction in this matter sets a very bad precedent. It is the federation, which has state accreditation from the Ministry of Sport, that regulates basketball relations in our country. And I would very much like to understand what exactly the federation regulates and on what principles, if the documents we sign with players are ultimately ignored? How can we protect the interests of basketball academies and clubs that cannot receive adequate compensation for their investments? How can we stop young Russian talent from leaving for the NCAA without compensation? These are all issues of national importance. And I sincerely hope that our basketball community understands this too. But words alone are not enough; we need actions and political will.
The media has repeatedly raised the issue of the involvement of Yelatontsev's so-called "gray" agents in this conflict, who did not have an RBF license. How can you comment on this?: We provided all the necessary documents and other evidence that clearly indicate that the player used the services of individuals not licensed by the RBF. Moreover, the evidence is direct, not circumstantial, with names, dates, and so on. It would seem the facts are in the open. But even here, we have yet to see any legal assessment from the federation. Our complaint, resubmitted to the relevant RBF commission, has not been reviewed since July 6. Moreover, the RBF has not even attempted to initiate an independent investigation. However, monitoring the activities of agents is the federation's direct responsibility. It shouldn't operate on the principle of "until someone files a complaint, we don't see anything." When an organization that is supposed to uphold the rules turns a blind eye to obvious violations, the question naturally arises: who needs such a federation, and does it even protect the interests of Russian basketball?

Andrey Vedishchev: “Yelatontsev’s transfer to CSKA is a consequence of the RBF’s failure to take disciplinary action”