Portsmouth Football Club's former owner Vladimir Antonov jailed for major fraud in Russia

The Russian banker was convicted of large-scale fraud at St. Petersburg Vyborgsky District Court on March 11. 

Antonov was arrested in April 2018 for misappropriating 2.2m euros from the Sovetsky bank along with several other bank executives.

He has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison. 

Antonov purchased Pompey in June 2011, after passing the Football League’s Fit and Proper Person Test,

He set out an ambitious five-year plan to transform the then-Championship club.

It included the development of the Blues’ Academy, interest in buying land around Fratton Park and the desire to win over the faith of local businesses and supporters.

However, Antonov’s reign lasted just five months and 28 days.

He quit as chairman on November 29 when his company CSI entered administration, owing Balram Chenrai’s Portpin £17m. 

Four days before stepping down at Pompey, Antonov had appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court after being arrested by City of London Police.

A European warrant had been sent out European-wide warrant was issued for his arrest yesterday over alleged financial crimes connected to Snoras Bank in Lithuania, which Antonov is the major shareholder of.

The Lithuanian government claimed that around £250m has been misappropriated from the bank’s funds.

The Football League also hit out at Antonov, claiming he misled officials during the takeover process.

At the end of the 2011-12 season, the Blues were relegated from the Championship to League One.

They fell into the third tier of English football for the first time in 30 years and were given a 10-point deduction at the start of the following campaign.