T
hedownfall of
Ventspilsandtheir
controversialowner
AdlanShishkhanov
hadbeena long
timecoming.
Thissummer,
UEFAbannedthe six-timeLatvian
championsfromEuropeanclub
competitionforsevenyearsdue
tothe club’s involvementina 1-
defeatina EuropaLeaguequalifier
inJuly 2018 toLigue 1side Bordeaux,
whowerenot implicated.UEFAalso
handeddowna ten-yearbanon
SergeyLapochkin,a Russianreferee
whohadbeenonFIFA’s international
listsince 2013 ,andbannedVentspils’
sportsmanagerNikolajs Djakinsfrom
footballforfouryears.
VentspilscannotreturntoEuropean
footballuntil 2027 -28butthatseems
a long wayoff.After beingbanned,the
clubpulledoutofthisseason’s Latvian
topflight– Virsliga – and theirresults
wereexpunged,butShishkhanovis
unlikelytoeverreturn.
UEFAhasaskedFIFAto extendits
lifetimebanworldwide,whichwould
endthe controversialChechen’s torrid
journey throughEuropeanfootball.
Shishkhanovfirstemergedin 2007
whenhetriedtobuya 49 percent
stake of Germanfootball club Carl
ZeissJenawithpartnerMurat Luyanov,
inreturnfora€25minvestmentmade
overfiveyearsthrougha Caribbean-
basedcompany.
Thatfailedanda yearlater he
surfacedinMoldovatotakecontrolof
DaciaChisinau.Underhisownership,
theclubwon thetitlein 2011 , but
Shishkhanovsubsequentlyleftto take
control of rivals, Zimbru,beforereturning
toDaciajustovera season later.
Duringthistime,a swathe of friendly
matches playedby Moldovanclubs,
manyin Turkey,beganattractingalerts
duetosuspiciousbettingmovements
frombettingoperators,manyofwhom
stoppedofferingthe matchesasa result.
Shishkhanovlaterstood down as
presidentofDaciaagainand,inApril
2017 , theMoldovangovernmentbegan
workingona caseagainsthimfor
taxevasionandmoney laundering.
Monthslater, Shishkhanovfled
Moldovaand beganlookingfor
a newhomeanda newclub.
ForVentspils,thetimingwas
unfortunate.Theclubhadwonsix
Virsliga titlesbetween 2006 and
2014 andqualifiedfor theEuropa
Leaguegroupstagein 20 09- 10 ,
butthe ownerwhohad fundedthat
success,YuriBespalov,diedin 2012.
Thelocalcouncilwas fundingthe
clubandby 2017 wanteda buyer.
Shishkhanovhada contactinLatvia
inthe RussianOlegGavrilov,whois
alsobannedfromfootballforlife for
hisearlierinvolvementin an alleged
match-fixingschemethatkilledoff
2012 LatvianchampionsDaugava
Daugavpils.
InMarch 2018 ,Dacia quitthat
year’sMoldovan Championshipand
a month later, aftera policeraidon
theclub,Shishkhanov wasaccused
oftax evasionandmoneylaundering,
includingpayingclubsincash in
envelopes,whichhadavoidednearly
10 m Moldovan Lei(£460,000)intax.
Bynow,the Chechenwas in control
atVentspils,whererespectedEnglish
coachPaulAshworthsoonleftand
wasthenfollowedbyplayers.In
theirplacecame playersand
back-upstafffromDacia.
Thatsummer, aEuropaLeague
qualifierwith AlbanianclubLuftetari
Gjirokaster attractedattentionafter
Ventspilsconcededa shambolicequaliser
ininjury timetodraw3-3.TheLatvians
hadbeen5-0upfromthe first legand
wentthrough8-3 on aggregatebefore
losingtoBordeauxinthenextround.
Moregames
played by Ventspils
generatedalerts
forsuspicious
betting
movements,
includinga
1-0 defeat
toNorwegian
third-divisionside Jerv duringa training
campinMarbellainSpain in 2 019.
“Inthe heatofthe moment,itlooked
asifVentspils pushedevery maninto
theattack,inanattempt to win,” Jerv
coachArneSandsto toldBergensavisen
(BA). “Thisresultedinushavingsixbig
chancesalonewith thekeeperinthe
lastminute.Therefereesmust have
reportedittoUEFAas a possible
caseofmatch-fixing.”
Inthe 2 01 9-20EuropaLeague,
Ventspilscannot returntoEuropeanfootball
until 2027 -28but thatseemsa longwayoff.
Afterbeingbanned, theclubpulled outofthis
season’sLatvian topflight– Virsliga– andtheir
resultswereexpunged
Ventspils
Latvianclubfacesuncertainfutureafterbeinghanded
seven-yearEuropeanbanformatch-fixingbyUEFA
Headliners
Banned...theLatvian
club’sOlimpiskais
Stadium
