A football referee in Russia has been detained by police on suspicion of influencing the result of a First League match.
33-year-old Bogdan Golovko is suspected of deliberately making incorrect decisions in favor of Torpedo during the final round match of the 2024/25 season against KAMAZ, Idman.biz reports.
The game ended in a 1-1 draw. In the 51st minute, Golovko sent off KAMAZ player Ilya Zhigulev. As a result of the season's final standings, Torpedo secured direct promotion to the Russian Premier League.
During the match, Golovko failed to award two controversial penalties against Torpedo. The Referee-Expert Commission under the Russian Football Union President reviewed the incidents and found one of Golovko's decisions correct, while the other was deemed incorrect.
His detention was carried out by the Ministry of Internal Affairs with support from the leadership of the Russian Football Union.
Earlier, a Moscow court sent Torpedo owner Leonid Sobolev and club director Valeriy Skorodumov to a pre-trial detention facility, charging them with unlawfully influencing match outcomes. The club now faces possible sanctions ranging from fines to disqualification from all competitions.
The Russian Football Union’s Disciplinary Committee is expected to review Torpedo’s case on July 10.
Idman.biz
