"Mr. Mayor, did you want money?"

The billionaire and ex-deputy of the State Duma criticized the authorities of Novorossiysk due to the inadmissions of the football club in the RPL. "Chernomorets" may lose their professional status

The Russian billionaire and a member of the Presidential Council for Physical Education and Sports Sergey Shishkarev (condition-$ 1.4 billion, 97th place on the Forbes list) refused to finance the Chernomorets football club from Novorossiysk after the club’s prevention due to problems with the stadium.

The owner of the largest transport and logistics holding of the case in Russia accused of the insolvency of the mayor of the Primorsky city of Andrei Kravchenko, criticized the corruption of local officials and suspected the club general director in an attempt to arrange a contractual match (though he later stated that the conflict has been settled). Against the backdrop of the departure of the Chernomorets investor, which was supposed to play in the Premier League in July, the bankruptcy of the club is already looking for new teams. What are Shishkarev’s claims, which is now waiting for the “sailors” and why the 16th club for the new RPL season is chosen not according to the sports result, but by voting at the meeting, in the material of “New-Europe”.

Victory on the day of defeat

On May 24, the Chernomorets in the last round of the first league (the second stronger football division) beat the Sochi 2: 1 at the Central Stadium Central Stadium. The club took third place (the best result over the past 20 years), which gave the right to participate in butt matches for access to the RPL.

However, “sailors” were not destined to fight for access to the elite of Russian football. Even before the game, it was reported that they did not pass licensing for RPL-2025/26 due to problems with the stadium. The fact that built in 1930 (the last complete reconstruction-in 1999), the 18,000th arena is not suitable for modern RPL criteria was known in advance and they did not even declare it to participate in the "tower". So, in September 2024, the Black Sea game with Rodina was suspended 47th minute after the lights went out at the stadium. The pause lasted about 40 minutes.

In the spring, the club was forced to play home matches due to lighting problems in the daytime.

“It is logical that we did not submit our stadium for licensing, because it does not correspond to the category of the RFU-1. We are working on the application of the stadium. Negotiations are also underway with those who own the stadium in Sochi (Fisht). We do not consider the option with the Kuban stadium (in Krasnodar), because it does not correspond to the category of the RFS-1. I hope that everything will be decided in the near future, ” said the Club General of the club Maxim Ponomarev in mid -May.

Details of licensing for clubs are described on 385 pages of the RFU regulations, where groups of sports, financial, legal, administrative and infrastructure criteria for a license are highlighted, SportC noted . The main ones are to the stadium and financial condition.

The home arena should contain at least 10 thousand spectators and be located in the same subject of Russia in which the club itself is registered, to comply with the construction (architectural) project without obvious deviations and disadvantages. The problems of the Novorossiysk stadium arose not only with lighting and access roads. The key point is the lack of infrastructure for the FAN ID system, which is required in the RPL and costs several hundred million rubles.

“Special criteria for comfort are spelled out: for example, a sufficient number of stationary toilets (based on the proportion of“ 1 toilet for 250 men/125 women ”) with the necessary hygienic supplies, special ramps and lifts for transporting citizens with disabilities, as well as VIPs with additional conditions of comfort and service,” the publication wrote.

The arena should fully correspond to 16 out of 26 points in six blocks (general, transport accessibility, service, safety, comfort, it), including mandatory such as capacity and geographical binding.

In the RFU, the “Chernomorets” problems were initially denied, however, on the evening of May 24, the Union was informed that the white-blue was denied the issuance of a license “in connection with the non-fulfillment of mandatory criteria”. After that, the club admitted that the contacts with Krasnodar and Sochi in the stadiums "were long, very different, but did not lead to success."

Shishkarev attacks

Hopes for going out in the RPL, at least in the near future, woke up for a short time with the fans in early June. The mayor of the city Andrei Kravchenko said that the stadium is planned to lead to the requirements of the RPL before the end of 2025, and the club allegedly approved the “road map” with specific terms of work, which includes more than 30 points. According to him, as part of the agreement, the investor - the business group of companies by billionaire Sergey Shishkarev should be carried out.

“The document includes more than 30 points, among which: the equipment of the stands, the FAN ID systems, LED boards around the perimeter, the premises for commentators, the company store, medical rooms, additional power outlets, storage chambers, the installation of restrictions and the complete replacement of communications,” he wrote, adding about the allocation of 200 million to the arena from the municipal budget.

What is the famous Sergey Shishkarev
57-year-old Sergey Shishkarev-a native of Novorossiysk and the owner of the largest transport and logistics holding of the City Complex in Russia. Forbes estimates its condition at $ 1.4 billion (97th place in the list of magazine).

Shishkarev was a deputy of the State Duma of three convocations, now he is a member of the Presidential Council for the development of physical education and sports, as well as demographic and family policy. For about 10 years, the businessman heads the Russian Handball Federation, sponsored a number of clubs, is part of the Executive Committee of the Russian Olympic Committee.

Shishkarev came to the club in 2022 and, by his own admission , spent more than 2 billion rubles on him. For the time being, the businessman kept silence about the situation around the club. As it turned out, it was a lull in front of the storm. At the end of last week, he made a number of high-profile statements, having arranged a mini-market in Rosfutball.

So, at first he said that the CEO of the club Maxim Ponomarev allegedly tried to “manipulate a football result”, calling it “meanness and betrayal”.

“There was an attempt to manipulate a football result. There was a hint of conversation with Oleg Vasilenko on this topic and there was a conversation with four leading football players <...> the conversation that, thank God, ended, if you can translate into the male language, the answer of the guys in the style: “Would you go ...” The men did not flinch like men here, ”he said.

Ponomarev replied that he was “in shock” and “there were no proposals for organizing a contract match.”

“The conversation with the players had witnesses, there were no proposals for organizing a contract match and close to the players or the coach,” the general director retorted.

“Mr. mayor, did you want money? We gave. What in return? Nothing!"

The investor was no longer stopped. He published a “sheet” in a telegram channel, where he thoroughly walked through other heroes: mayor Kravchenko and local officials. The businessman said that the case “Delo” stops financing the club and leaves the project, since “I am not ready to throw money next to the wind.”

In his opinion, the city administration, “despite all the loud statements”, “Chernomorets” is not needed, and the mayor could not resolve the issue with the stadium. The arena, by the way, he called a big garbage.

“Three years - and zero of specific actions. Neither the sites for the new construction, nor a clear plan for the reconstruction of the old "Central". That “road” map, which has recently appeared, is nothing more than a declaration: it has neither a detailed estimate, nor specific terms of implementation, nor responsible persons. Only empty blah blah blah, and the "central" as it was a large garbage dump remains. Mr. Mayor, did you want money? We gave. Thown success? The team has achieved it. What in return? Nothing! The hole from the bagel, ”the billionaire was indignant.

He accused Ponomarev of inability to agree with the RFU and the owners of Fishta, and the officials in corruption. According to the businessman, officials should understand that "sport is not their personal budget feed, but the pride of all residents"

Shishkarev announced his readiness to build a new stadium, walking along the path of the owner of Krasnodar Sergey Galitsky: “Of course, it was scary to look through the horizon of 2040, but I have long learned the truth that it was necessary to live in Russia for a long time.”

The war is on a pause

The cessation of financing by Shishkarev can lead to the disappearance of "sailors" from a map of professional clubs, writes Metaratings. Football players were informed that they could start looking for new teams.

“The administration of Novorossiysk will give little money, but the Chernomorets may not be declared even in the Leon-Enrae League, the team threatens bankruptcy. According to our information, the club has a large payment statement and long -term contracts of football players. ”

Maxim Ponomarev also admitted that the RFU has the right to withdraw a license from the team due to possible financing problems for the next season.

However, while the self -destruction of the "Black Sea" is postponed. On the evening of June 10, Shishkarev met with Ponomarev and stated that “The topic of possible manipulating the result of the game with Sochi was closed, and then announced that the Case Group of Companies will allocate the budget for the next season in the FNL.

“General leitmotif: the fear that without our support“ Chernomorets ”will disappear from the country's football map. I understand perfectly: for the city, this would be a strong blow, if not a tragedy. I can't allow this. "

At the same time, the businessman refused to repair the "central" businessman. He called the construction of a new stadium his “main focus”.

The RPL club will be bored with voting, not by sports principle

“Chernomorets” is not the only RPL and FNL club, which had difficulties in licensing for the next season. Novyevropa wrote in detail about the debts of the Khimki near Moscow, which risk being left without professional status. In early June, the club began bankruptcy proceedings due to "the inability to satisfy the claims of creditors."

Due to such problems, the situation with participants in the new season of the new season of the Premier League remains uncertain. One of the participants will not be chosen on a sports principle, but based on the voting of clubs at the general meeting and the decision of the Executive Committee of the RFU. On June 3, the towers of the Tsules advocated the preservation of the Nizhny Novgorod “Paris NN” (he lost the butt matches “Sochi”). The final decision on this issue will be made until June 15.