League of сriminals: Russian soccer and hockey leagues have become safe havens for rogue foreigners

At first, Vloet's friend tried to take the blame and gave false testimony, but eventually, both told the truth. The footballer later tried to justify his actions by saying he had activated cruise control. His defense stressed the fact that the deceased child was not wearing a seatbelt.

Before the fatal accident, Rai Vloet, a product of one of the country's most successful clubs, PSV, played in the top division for the mid-table team Heracles, and was a leader there. After the trial, active club supporters turned against him, insisting that he not be allowed to play while the appeals process was ongoing. Heracles agreed, suspending Vloet from training, and in January 2022 it was announced that the successful midfielder would no longer play for the team.

The Dutchman found a new job in Kazakhstan. Astana FC was well aware of the player’s legal situation, but the topic was quickly made taboo within the team, explains Igor Pavlyuk, then Astana's sports director:

“Vloet was signed at the very end of the transfer window,” Pavlyuk told The Insider. “The team learned about his arrival at the last moment. I understand that at the start of the legal proceedings, he planned ahead and ensured his freedom by coming to us. Vloet didn't go through training camps with the team but still stood out on the field, especially given his creativity. Frankly, we knew he wouldn't stay with us for long; his level is much higher than the Kazakhstan Championship. When Ural's offer came, Rai said he was much more interested in playing in Russia.”

Ural Yekaterinburg, which bought the bright Dutchman for 250,000 euros in September 2022, did not consider ethical questions at all — as admitted by the club's then-vice president Igor Efremov. On the YouTube show This is Football, Bro, the former Ural official recalled:

“When you're unaware of the situation, you wonder why a player like Vloet is playing in Kazakhstan. After delving into the matter and discussing it thoroughly, we realized that when Ural signed Vloet, there wasn't a court decision yet. Frankly, we didn't even consider the moral and ethical side at all at that time.” In response to a question about whether such a stance was acceptable, Efremov remarked, “Let me ask you this: are there many people who have always driven sober?” He concluded, “We're now spending more time discussing this situation than we did when making the decision.”

The footballer's lawyer, Eric Thomas, commented on the obvious: “It's not as interesting to play football in Kazakhstan and Yekaterinburg when you're used to Europe. But no European club wanted to see him anymore.”

Now Vloet's case is being handled by another lawyer, Alrik de Haas. In response to a request from The Insider, de Haas refused to comment on the appeals process. Vloet’s contract in Yekaterinburg runs until mid-season 2024/25. Due to a serious injury, he did not play from May 2023 to March 2024, and in the first nine spring matches, he spent only 89 minutes on the field in total.

“For Rai Vloet, life happily continues in the metropolis — Yekaterinburg. His name in Russian sounds like 'paradise.' In Russia, he leads a comfortable life,” wrote a columnist for the Dutch newspaper AD after Vloet's sentence was handed down in April of last year. “This is how a footballer born and raised in Schijndel, who accidentally caused a fatal accident in the Netherlands and fled because no club wanted to see him there, lives.”

Both the former footballer's lawyer, Eric Thomas, and the former Ural vice president, Igor Efremov, claimed that once the final verdict on the appeal is known, Vloet will not hide, and will return to the Netherlands to serve his sentence.

The Insider sent a request to FC Ural. No response was received by the time of publication.