Ufa will take a penalty in court – Sport – Kommersant

Football club “Ufa”, which at the end of last season dropped out of the Russian Premier League (RPL) in the First League, may lose more than 105 million rubles. JSC “Regional Fund” (owned by the Ministry of Land and Property Relations of Bashkiria), which finances the team, sent a claim to the arbitration court of the republic for the recovery of principal and interest under the loan agreement. Ufa signed him in September 2021. Under the terms of the agreement, the building on Abramova Street in Ufa, worth more than 109 million rubles, was to be pledged to the Regional Fund, but it was not handed over to the state-owned company. The interlocutor of Kommersant, who is familiar with the situation, said that Ufa, whose accounts payable is about 350 million rubles, has no funds to repay the debt and the club can expect the sale of property.

The Arbitration Court of Bashkiria appointed November 14 to consider the claim of the state investment company Regional Fund for the recovery of 105.6 million rubles from the Ufa football club. The application was submitted to the court on September 9, follows from the case file. The Regional Fund also asked the court to take interim measures – to seize the club’s bank account and property: buses, equipment, and so on.

According to Kommersant, in September 2021, the Regional Fund and Ufa signed a loan agreement, according to which the state-owned company agreed to lend the club 100 million rubles for a year. at 6.5% per annum. In September and October of the same year, the plaintiff transferred the loan amount to Ufa in two equal tranches. As a guarantee of the fulfillment of obligations, within three months from the date of signing the agreement, the Regional Fund was to pledge the building on the street. Abramova in Ufa worth 109.7 million rubles, which is under the economic jurisdiction of the State Unitary Enterprise “Bashavtotrans”.

Meanwhile, according to Kommersant’s information, the pledge was not provided, as well as the annual financial statements of Ufa, which the club undertook to transfer to the Regional Fund within five days after being sent to the tax service.

In early August, the plaintiff demanded that the club return the loan amount with interest ahead of schedule, but this was not done either.

According to Kommersant, in 2021, in addition to Ufa, hockey Salavat Yulaev took a loan from the Regional Fund – in this case, in the amount of 890 million rubles. The loan term is two years. This club, according to Kommersant’s information, pays the current interest and does not exclude that it will prolong the contract for a new term.

The “Regional Fund” yesterday offered to address questions to the Ministry of Land Property of Bashkiria, but the head of the ministry’s press service, Mikhail Kopyshev, declined to comment, noting that it does not participate in the trial.

The interlocutor of Kommersant, who is familiar with the situation, said that Ufa was forced to take a loan from the Regional Fund. “Last year the club got into a deplorable financial situation. He was promised to allocate 450 million rubles. through the Fund for Social Target Programs, but the payment schedule was repeatedly violated. Therefore, it was decided to take funds through the “Regional Fund” in order to be able to close current obligations. The lender was promised real estate as collateral, but it was not given. Therefore, Ildar Magdanov (general director of the Regional Fund.— “b”) there was no other choice but to go to court, otherwise, in case of non-repayment of the loan and the absence of collateral, bumps could fall on him, ”the interlocutor explained. According to him, in 2021 Ufa received about 650 million rubles, and in the current – about 125 million rubles.

“Current debt is estimated at 350 million rubles. When the “Regional Fund” wins in court, there will be nothing to pay the debt. Most likely, the property of the club will go under the hammer. The authorities have been promising to find a sponsor for Ufa for two years now, but things are not moving beyond words,” the interlocutor stated.

The issue of financing “Ufa” was repeatedly raised at the level of the head of Bashkiria. At the end of 2021, Radiy Khabirov, noting the “difficult stage of underfunding”, said: “We have already opened financing, we have overtaken part of the money before the new year.”

In April of this year, Mr. Khabirov again stated that “the Ufa football club is now in a difficult situation, but we have already decided on all issues with financing.”

In June was announcedthat the sponsor of the club will be Aquamak Processing (a major supplier of petroleum products on the domestic market) of entrepreneur Oleg Makarenko. Mr. Makarenko then told Kommersant that he “has intentions to cooperate”, but “so far there are a lot of issues that need to be resolved.” Yesterday, Oleg Makarenko told Kommersant that “the question remains open,” while adding that “there will be cooperation with Ufa in one form or another.”

Bulat Bashirov, Ufa