Criminal charges filed against Torpedo's executive leadership
Tricky business we've got here! The cat's outta the bag about Leonid Sobolev, owner of the Torpedo crew, and good ol' Valery Skorodumov, their CEO. They're in hot water for allegedly trying to bribe ref Maxim Perezv, promising him a cool six mil for Torpedo winning three matches – against Rodina, Shinnik, and Ural – according to Ivan Karpov's Telegram channel. Sounds fishy, huh? Perezv wasn't happy about it and lodged a complaint with the cops.
And guess what? On June 19, it was confirmed that Sobolev and Skorodumov are charged with a crime! They're lookin' at up to seven years in the slammer if they get convicted, under Article 184 Part 2 of the Criminal Code. That's for trying to fix the outcome of an official sports competition. Ouch!
In a twist of fate, Torpedo managed to finish second in the First League in the 2024/25 season, securing a spot in the Russian Premier League (RPL). But with all this mess, who knows what'll happen next?
Fun fact: Zenit already hinted who might take Torpedo's place in the RPL. Fascinating, isn't it?
Source: Investigative Journalist [[1]].
[[1]] According to this investigative journalist, the case against Sobolev and Skorodumov is still developing, with further legal proceedings expected to shed more light on the alleged match-fixing scandal. The defense has strongly denied any connection to football and questioned the prosecution's narrative, while doubts have been raised about the reliability of indirect evidence presented so far. Despite the ongoing investigation, Sobolev has been arrested and detained for two months without being granted bail or house arrest, sparking controversy among legal experts.
General-news articles have reported that Leonid Sobolev and Valery Skorodumov, the owner and CEO of Torpedo crew respectively, are facing charges in crime-and-justice proceedings for their alleged involvement in a match-fixing scandal. The sports club could potentially face penalties under Article 184 Part 2 of the Criminal Code if they are found guilty. Meanwhile, sports news also covers Torpedo's second-place finish in the First League during the 2024/25 season, securing a spot in the Russian Premier League (RPL), with speculation surrounding whether they'll maintain their place amidst the ongoing match-fixing investigation.
