Football referees partially admitted guilt in the case of Torpedo matches

The majority of football referees partially admitted guilt in the case of illegally influencing the results of Torpedo matches, a RIA Novosti correspondent reports from the Simonovsky Court in Moscow.

On Monday, the court began considering the case, 16 defendants, including 13 football referees and co-owner of FC Torpedo Leonid Sobolev, are accused of exerting unlawful influence on the result of an official sports competition.

“I admit partially... I do not admit participation in a preliminary conspiracy,” said one of the accused arbitrators.

As the persons involved in the case explained, they recognize the factual circumstances of the case.

Sobolev and Torpedo accountant Irina Volkova also partially admitted guilt in the criminal case.

As the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office previously reported, the former general director of the Torpedo football club, Valery Skorodumov, from July 2024 to May 2025, together with Sobolev and accountant Irina Volkova, persuaded judges to exert illegal influence on the results of the team's matches. To do this, they offered the referees from 600 thousand to 3 million rubles if Torpedo won. One of the judges, in order to hide compromising connections, brought in an intermediary - an acquaintance of Alexei Mikhailov, who is also in the dock.