Volleyball
Nothing sacred! Russian volleyball player scammed friend out of huge money by inventing mother’s illness
Photo: © RIA Novosti / Alexey Kudenko
Law enforcement agencies are dealing with a difficult matter.
Passions are running high in Russian volleyball due to deception and large debts. Players from large clubs are involved in the case, and the amounts amount to hundreds of thousands of rubles. According to preliminary data, this is all due to the addiction of one of the participants in the conflict.
The police have already been involved in the case.
Asked for money for his mother’s treatment
As the Baza telegram channel learned, volleyball player from the Dynamo Moscow system Mikhail Pado wrote a statement against Nikita Kozlov, who until recently played in Kemerovo Kuzbass. The athletes have known each other for a long time and communicated quite well. But one episode completely ruined their friendly relationship.
Kozlov, as it turned out, often borrowed money from Pado under various pretexts. Once he asked for a loan to pay for the treatment of his seriously ill mother, and another time for his own medicine. Mikhail, not feeling a catch, willingly helped his comrade. First, he transferred him 490 thousand rubles, and then added another 146 thousand.
At the same time, Kozlov was in no hurry to repay the debt. The athlete delayed this moment in every possible way, and to avert his eyes, he suggested that Pado discuss everything in person, but then he himself canceled the meetings. This went on for about two to three months.
My sister didn’t know anything
Some time later, Pado received a message on Telegram from Kozlov’s sister. She said that her brother had found the money and would soon repay all his debts. Mikhail believed the girl at first, but then decided to check the account. It turned out that a fake sister wrote to him, and the real one was not aware of her brother’s problems.
According to Baza, Pado contacted Kozlov’s real sister and told about the situation. The surprised girl told the volleyball player that she was hearing about her mother’s illness for the first time. Then Mikhail realized that he had been deceived and contacted the police.
The amount of debt is more than a million
It turned out that Nikita Kozlov is seriously interested in betting. Because of this, he left Kuzbass back in November 2023. The club, having learned about the player’s addiction, decided not to have anything to do with him.
— I can’t say anything about Kozlov’s fate now; he is no longer a Kuzbass player. Problems with rates? No one caught him by the hand, but such rumors reached him. Therefore, it was decided to terminate the contract with him,” Sergei Lomako, executive director of Kuzbass, told Match TV.
It is possible that new victims will appear in the case. Baza adds that Kozlov could have borrowed money from other volleyball players. The amount of his total debt exceeds a million rubles.
May face criminal penalties
Nikita Kozlov played for Kuzbass in the Youth League. The 20-year-old central blocker with a height of 203 cm defended the colors of the Kemerovo team for two years. His peer, colleague in the role and former friend Mikhail Pado plays for Dynamo-Olympus, the Dynamo youth team. The All-Russian Volleyball Federation has already stated that clubs need to understand the situation. An official statement from Dynamo Moscow has also been published.
— The management of the Moscow volleyball team “Dynamo” was informed about the situation with the statement to the police of the central blocking club Mikhail Pado regarding the former player of the Kuzbass youth team Nikita Kozlov regarding the non-return of a large sum of money. The leaders of the Dynamo and Kuzbass clubs discussed the current situation as quickly and in detail as possible and have no complaints against each other. This proceeding is between two individuals within the framework of the legislation of the Russian Federation, and the club’s participation in it is not provided for,” says a statement published on the official website of Dynamo Moscow.
If the deception is confirmed, Nikita Kozlov will face serious problems, including criminal punishment.
Source: Sportbox
Alberta Robinson is a sports journalist and author, who is currently associated with the publication Sportish, where she writes about sports related news and events. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, Robinson brings in-depth analysis and insightful commentary to her writing.