Sports criminals in Russia are one of the most cruel and merciless. This story is standalone. Nearly killed a sports reporter. Seems like a peaceful profession. But, if you dig deeper, fight with dirt in a big sport, you can easily end up in the next world. Or miraculously stay alive.
This man is very lucky. He survived, being on the verge of non-existence. With cuts and scars on his face, like the hero of a horror movie, he still publishes revealing articles about the ins and outs of the life of Russian sports, in football, above all.
The main customer of that attack was considered the leader of the criminal world of the 90s, Otari Kvantrishvili. But not only he...
A sports journalist and author of books about football, Aleksey Matveev, tried to investigate the story of the "collision" with himself. He provided details specifically for the telegram channel of the Cheka-OGPU and Rucriminal.info.
REHEARSAL OF "ARRIVAL"
... January 5, 1994 will be remembered for the rest of my life. A truly ominous day. My sharp publications, especially in Rossiyskaya Gazeta, did not go unnoticed. The clouds, figuratively speaking, thickened.
The few journalists who sympathized with me warned: “They change their faces when they read your publications, they literally “turn green” from unbearable anger. Be careful. They promised to take me to the wilderness, to tear them to pieces…”.
Looking ahead, everything was done in Moscow, in front of dumbfounded people. Yes, opponents not only reacted irritably, but rushed about in a rage. Apparently, they were waiting for an opportunity, the slightest pretext to clash with me. If not life, then health was certainly at stake.
On January 5, in the lobby of the first floor of the building of the Russian Olympic Committee on Luzhnetskaya Embankment, my long-awaited clash with the odious leader of the refereeing football corps, Eduard Shklovsky, took place. I went to a press conference of the then coach of the Russian national team Pavel Sadyrin. A scandal erupted in the team's camp, and a meeting with journalists was dedicated to him. In the summer of the same year, the team was to play at the world championship in the United States.
Shklovsky, on the contrary, left the building of the Olympic Committee. Earlier, a meeting of the executive committee of the RFU was held, the results were summed up, including refereeing in the Russian championship. The department of Eduard Isaakovich got the "nuts", there is also the journalist Matveev with critical, ironic, even sarcastic notes and articles. The judge got sick, boiled. I decided to take out my anger, especially since the case turned up. Here he is the "offender", Matveev. Give it to me for the “breasts”. Emotions surged from Shklovsky.
We hustled a little with him, Eduard Isaakovich even pictorially called for help - the police. A somewhat comical situation. They seem to be respectable citizens, but they staged a fight.
I went up to the tiny hall of the collegium of the Olympic Committee, it was impossible to breathe. About sixty journalists crowded. Feeling like we're herring in the tightest bank. Writing reporters, as well as colleagues from TV and radio companies, gathered.
Suddenly, during a press conference, a huge, almost two-meter Otari Kvantrishvili literally burst into the hall. In the past, a freestyle wrestler with broad shoulders, like a rock, towered over us mere mortals. From the effect of surprise, those present were momentarily numb, froze and waited for what would follow next.
- We will deal with those who blacken Russian football and its leadership in the press, - Otari announced promisingly from the doorway.
The journalistic people fell silent, apparently, in anticipation of the next pearls of the leader of the criminal world. They followed after the event. As soon as I was about to leave the hall after talking with Sadyrin, one of the assistants accompanying Otari, Andrey Slushaev, came close. Also a fighter, a colorful guy, in size, however, a little less than the leader. “Otari Vitalyevich would like to talk to you,” my new acquaintance said in a tone that brooked no objections.
FRONT ATTACK
Otari Kvantrishvili dreamed of settling within the walls of the State Duma. He methodically created a political (!) party of athletes in order to enter the house on Okhotny Ryad with it. Thus, he would legalize his, to put it mildly, dubious activities on the sidelines of big Russian sports and politics.
It was no coincidence that Otari Vitalievich began to actively attend football events. He intended, - oh, a miracle! - to go as part of the official Russian delegation to the upcoming world championship in America. I planned to negotiate with the then head of FIFA, the Brazilian Joao Havelange.
By the way, the freestyle wrestler (literally and figuratively) visited the President of the Football Union Vyacheslav Koloskov very regularly. Probably, Otari Vitalyevich discussed with Vyacheslav Ivanovich the details of future negotiations with Havelange.
There was a difficult conversation with a person of a truly "universal" scale. After all, he was going to negotiate with Havelange himself.
- Why do you write about “fixed” matches, do you scold Koloskov in the press? - Otari Vitalyevich barked from the start.
I answered him - if I criticize someone in the press, including the mentioned person already, so there is something for it.
I spoke with notes of "metal" in my voice. Around were reporters who had not had time to disperse, other people. They listened to our dialogue with genuine interest, if such a thing was drawn to a dialogue.
- Look, Koloskov wrote a statement in my name, asking me to protect him from your attacks in the press, - Kvantrishvili continued in a raised voice, - and shook a piece of paper in front of me. “If you don’t stop slandering Slava, our football, we will beat it in the newspaper,” the mighty wrestler announced openly, not embarrassed by those present. - In general, you are bilious, angry, it's time to deal with you ...
- In sports, you will begin to understand, when you listen to my opinion, you will do as I say, - summed up the "guru" of domestic crime.
We parted by no means friends, each with his own opinion. The thought - to publish in hot pursuit a sharp, revealing note - relentlessly pursued me. Why on earth, even a very venerable bandit, threatens me with violence?
Above, I told you what was the pathos of the master of sports in freestyle wrestling, who combined the post of president of the Lev Yashin Foundation. After all, he really was going to the World Cup in America. What for?
Well, of course, football is the number one sport in the world. Otari Vitalievich wanted thereby to add political weight to himself. To be a respected person in the Duma, an unconditional authority.
Kvantrishvili did not disdain anything. He began his stormy activity by tearing jewelry from his fellow tribesmen - Georgians. Chains, pendants, and other valuables went, apparently, into the depths of the social security fund, but one must have start-up capital.
Further more. Robbery, racketeering, robbery, attempts on obstinate people - businessmen, entrepreneurs.
CATTLE FOR SALE
Alas, almost any team is not complete without freaks. He also turned out to be a traitor in Rossiyskaya Gazeta. Vladislav Ivanov was none other than the Deputy Editor-in-Chief. Of course, I was aware of the editorial plans, they were publicly discussed at the morning planning meetings.
And so he rendered an invaluable service to Otari: he informed him about the upcoming publication, he was not too lazy to read the contents of the sensational, revealing material to the “boss”.
Why did he do it? Ivanov took money from Kvantrishvili to finance the sailing federation, he somehow worked sideways in it. How can you not inform the sponsor about the upcoming information "bomb"?!
In general, livestock is for sale. There are, unfortunately, many people like him in and around journalism. They turned our wonderful profession into a profitable craft. This is their style, way of life. Nothing is sacred. Money really doesn't smell to them.
…Otari was furious at the text read to him over the phone. Of course, it was not difficult for a mafioso of a fairly large caliber to get through to the editor-in-chief of Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Natalya Polezhaeva. The background of the conversation is clear: what do you allow yourself?! What other post? Yes, he and the guys will smash the entire editorial office, that is, blow it up. So he stated.
Polezhaeva, however, did not flinch. Went with security for a while. She had such an opportunity, she headed not a sharashkin office, but a printed edition of the Russian government.
On January 20, 1994, my article, which became famous, was published in Rosgazeta under the heading: “Otari Kvantrishvili: we will beat.” It makes sense to quote from it:
“... After a memorable press conference of the head coach of the football team Pavel Sadyrin and the president of the RFU Vyacheslav Koloskov, a certain Slushaev approached me, a colorful figure under a hundred kilos. And he politely invited me to an “interview” (that's how he put it) with Otari Kvantrishvili, a former freestyle wrestler, now president of the Lev Yashin Social Protection Fund.
Otari Vitalyevich immediately asked why I offend his brothers-footballers, I criticize the leadership of the RFU in the newspaper. I was responsible for the "fixed" matches in the Russian championship, the conflict situation in the national team and a number of other reasons, the enumeration of which would take a long time. The curious listened with interest to our conversation. Meanwhile, we clearly disagreed.
In parting, Otari Vitalyevich blessed: “You will understand sports when you stop arguing with me. In general, you are bilious, evil. Think, otherwise we will beat. Veiled, sometimes even open threats no-no yes sounded in the conversation. On that they parted.
Curious detail. In the criminal case of gang rape, which Otari once went through, there is a characteristic medical certificate. According to her, the athlete was released early from prison, as he suffered from sluggish schizophrenia.
If the diagnosis has not been removed, then Mr. Kvantrishvili is not entitled to head any funds. And social protection is really necessary. Precisely athletes, not football officials. The sooner Mr. President of the Fund realizes this, the better.”
Have I signed my “verdict” with this publication? Partly.
... The date of the attack, apparently, was carefully planned. Apparently, it was not by chance that the Defender of the Fatherland Day was chosen. In addition, the Winter Olympics usually take place in February. In the 94th they took place in the Norwegian Lillehammer.
Otari Vitalyevich, as it turned out later, was also there. True, it is not entirely clear in what capacity. It seems that he was not a representative of winter species. Probably, he “socially protected” Russian athletes there. Say, what are the claims against him, he was outside the country on the day of the attack on the journalist.
On the eve of the “significant event”, I spent most of the night doing urgent material for the newspaper, I had to hand it in in the morning. Lie down to rest for a while.
I got up very early - on Tuesdays, before arriving at the editorial office, I played football with friends. Even before the start of the working day, the ball was driven, from half past nine to ten in the morning. In the building of the Pravda sports complex, it was located a few meters from the newspaper office. I didn’t miss my favorite fun, for me it’s sacred. That morning, I didn’t get to the gym and the workplace ...
Alexey Matveev
To be continued
Source: www.rucriminal.info
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