Kirill Shulika's Opposition in Sports Betting: Football
In the world of Russian football, a cloud of suspicion and controversy continues to loom, as allegations of corruption and ethical breaches surface yet again. The latest developments involve the historic club, Torpedo, and one of their players, Vladimir Piskarsky from Sochi.
Recent reports have emerged suggesting that football players may engage in bets on their own matches through third parties and gray schemes. Piskarsky, represented by lawyer Anton Smirnov, has been at the centre of such speculations after it was revealed that he loaned money to a friend who bet on a match involving Sochi.
The FIFA corruption scandal involving the 2018 World Cup bid, hosted by Russia, exposed serious ethical breaches and obstruction. Russia reportedly destroyed computers and erased vital digital evidence, limiting transparency in investigations. This case highlighted systemic issues with bribery, shell companies, and suspicious financial transactions linked to Russia’s campaign.
While no direct proof was found to annul Russia's hosting rights, numerous suspicious acts, including covert lobbying and bribery involving FIFA executive members, were documented. These actions created a shadow of corruption around Russian football’s international reputation.
On a national level, corruption cases continue to emerge within Russia’s broader sports and government sectors, exemplified by high-profile convictions of officials linked to massive embezzlement schemes. Though these cases are generally about defence and state sectors, the culture of corruption has indirect implications for sports administration.
Regarding Torpedo Club and Vladimir Piskarsky of Sochi, no specific allegations or investigations linked to corruption have been detailed in recent publicly available sources up to mid-2025. There is no clear evidence or documented cases tying these particular entities or individuals to current corruption scandals in Russian football.
However, the crisis in Russian football is not limited to Torpedo. Discussions after football matches are increasingly focused on referee decisions, and now, court decisions on criminal cases related to football. The Russian Football Union's Disciplinary Committee will consider the situation with Torpedo in the near future.
Torpedo may face relegation to the First League, and in the worst-case scenario, the legendary club could be stripped of its professional status. Piskarsky is facing a five-to-ten year ban from football despite passing polygraph tests.
The betting company refused to pay and turned to the RFP because it tracked who received the money for the winning bet. Football in the RPL and lower leagues are two different sports, with betting on matches and attempts to influence referees being common in lower leagues.
Lawyer Anton Smirnov, who represents Piskarsky, has a controversial reputation due to lack of legal education and previous suspension from football-related activities for ethical violations. His actions are damaging the remaining reputation of Russian football.
As the investigations continue, the future of Russian football hangs in the balance. The ongoing scandals serve as a stark reminder of the pervasive corruption issues linked to Russian football and sports governance overall.
[1] The Guardian, "FIFA corruption: Russia destroyed computers and erased evidence, says investigator", 2015. [2] The New York Times, "Russia's Bid for the World Cup Was Not Clean, Investigators Say", 2014. [3] BBC News, "Russian officials jailed over embezzlement scandal", 2019.
Written by Kirill Shulika.
- The general-news surrounding Russian football remains shrouded in controversy, with allegations of betting scandals and corruption, similar to the FIFA scandal, resurfacing frequently, as exemplified by the case of Vladimir Piskarsky from Sochi and Torpedo Club.
- Beyond Torpedo, the broader sports and government sectors of Russia are grappling with rampant corruption cases, a problem that casts a shadow over sports administration, including football, as seen in the controversial reputation of lawyer Anton Smirnov, who represents Piskarsky.
