Just as Girona sits on the verge of a historic season with Champions League qualification in their sights, a potential bombshell has emerged from Ukraine that could throw a wrench into their celebrations. According to reports, a Ukrainian lawyer named Evgeny Kuzmin has alleged tax fraud involving the transfer of Girona striker Artem Dovbyk and is threatening to file an official complaint with UEFA.
The crux of Kuzmin’s claim centers around Dovbyk’s agent, Oleksiy Lundovsky. Kuzmin asserts that Lundovsky established a company in Estonia to avoid paying taxes in Ukraine, where he resides. This alleged maneuver could violate rules surrounding Dovbyk’s transfer from Dnipro to Girona last summer.
“Girona had to pay the corresponding amount for Dovbyk’s transfer, and so they did,” Kuzmin stated to Ukrainian outlet Sportarena. “However, taxation should occur exclusively under Ukrainian law since the seller, player, and agent are all Ukrainian. All payments must go to Ukrainian bank accounts only.”
Kuzmin questions the documentation used for Lundovsky’s commission fees, which were allegedly paid to his Estonian company rather than to a Ukrainian entity. The lawyer claims this likely avoided taxes owed to the Ukrainian government on the transfer proceeds.
“Lundovsky registered personal residency in Estonia yet lives permanently in Ukraine,” Kuzmin explained. “His Estonian company appears to have no other business besides receiving this agency payment for Dovbyk. The fees were supposed to go to a Ukrainian company and accounts, but that didn’t happen.”
The Ukrainian international’s profile has skyrocketed this season, with Dovbyk scoring 16 goals to sit atop the scoring charts alongside stars like Jude Bellingham. His stellar play has propelled Girona’s push for a Champions League berth. However, Kuzmin argues that as a Ukrainian national team player and citizen, Lundovsky’s purported actions could constitute “economic aggression” against Ukraine.
While Kuzmin has gone public with his allegations, he claims to have taken additional step by filing an official complaint with UEFA’s governing bodies.
“I trust UEFA will investigate these violations and make a fair decision,” Kuzmin stated. “As a lawyer, I’ve informed Lundovsky and Girona of these events by email.”
If Kuzmin’s claims are substantiated and UEFA opts to take disciplinary action, the consequences could be severe for all parties involved. Kuzmin warned of potential massive fines, revocation of licenses, and even expulsion from domestic and continental competitions for the clubs, player, and agent if found guilty of improper conduct.
“UEFA can sanction Girona, Dnipro, and agent Lundovsky,” he cautioned. “For the clubs, it could mean large fines, loss of licensing, and exclusion from their domestic league and European tournaments. Lundovsky faces losing his agent’s license.”
As Girona prepares for its biggest matches in decades, this legal situation surrounding Dovbyk’s transfer looms as a potential dark cloud over their incredible season. How it unfolds could have long-lasting repercussions for the parties involved and the future fortunes of the clubs.
