UYBA Busto Arsizio announced the departure of coach Julio Velasco.
This move concludes the contentious discussions about Velasco’s potential dual role as both the club’s and the Italian women’s national team’s head coach.
UYBA Volley released a statement confirming Velasco’s resignation, effective immediately, and plans to name a new head coach soon. Despite efforts to maintain their relationship with Velasco and coordination with the Italian Volleyball Federation (FIPAV), the situation did not pan out as hoped.
UYBA emphasized that their contract with Velasco did not prevent him from coaching the national team simultaneously. The lack of communication and disregard for contractual agreements by Fipav has been highlighted as a significant concern by UYBA.
UYBA Volley Busto Arsizio statement:
“UYBA Volley Busto Arsizio announces that as of today, coach Julio Velasco is no longer the coach of the team. The Argentine coach submitted his resignation yesterday evening, with immediate effect, and in the coming hours, the club will announce the name of the new head coach.
UYBA Volley emphasizes that it worked until the last moment to continue its relationship with Mr. Velasco, seeking support from Fipav (Italian Volleyball Federation) and the coach himself.
The club specifies that the contract signed with Mr. Velasco did not contain automatic termination clauses in the event of his appointment as the coach of the national team. On the contrary, the contract was structured in a way that Mr. Velasco could hold both positions (UYBA coach and national team coach) without any restrictions. For this reason, UYBA always considered Mr. Velasco as the team’s coach at least until the end of the season, as stipulated in the contractual clauses. Fipav did not make any contact with UYBA before Mr. Velasco was summoned to the Fipav headquarters for the offer of the role of national team coach. Fipav also did not verify the contractual clauses between UYBA and Mr. Velasco, nor did it request a meeting with the President and CEO of UYBA before the press release announcing Mr. Velasco as the national team coach. Fipav has never initiated any dialogue, knowing well that Mr. Velasco was the coach of our historic club, thus violating any principles of good faith, fairness, and transparency towards us. Fipav has never sought a necessary and constructive conversation with UYBA, all of which disregards the projects, investments, and efforts of UYBA, a member of Fipav for 53 years, to participate in a proactive championship with sports, cultural, ethical, and international objectives that are of significant interest to the entire volleyball system (to which Brera Holding has given credit and recognized legitimacy as the first American company to invest in women’s volleyball).
The behavior of Fipav and all the parties involved in this case appears, in the eyes of UYBA, to be responsible for serious damage to UYBA’s corporate reputation, the sports project it had started the season with, and the destabilization of the entire team’s harmony (both on and off the field), as well as the city of Busto Arsizio and its fans.
The white and red club reserves the right to take all necessary actions to protect itself, in any capacity. UYBA Volley still awaits a concrete response and a scheduled meeting from Fipav aimed at providing the necessary clarifications, formal apologies, and the pursuit of adequate solutions in the interest of UYBA and to ensure the regular, fair, and equal conduct of the championship. It is regrettable that UYBA has, thus far, experienced a treatment unimaginable to us alone, one that violates respect, sports ethics, and the rules that Fipav should uphold and set an example for.”
