Rome (AFP) – Fiorentina on Wednesday announced the signing of Russian international striker Aleksandr Kokorin on a permanent deal from Spartak Moscow, just a year-and-a-half since he was released from prison.
The 29-year-old was found guilty of assaulting a Russian government official in 2018, alongside then-Krasnodar midfielder Pavel Mamayev.
“What I did in Russia was a mistake that I paid for dearly,” Kokorin told the Fiorentina website.
“On being a bad boy, I can say that I closed a chapter in Russia, and open a new one here. I can be a bad boy on the pitch, not off the pitch.”
When he was released on parole in September 2019, Kokorin signed a one-year contract extension with Zenit Saint-Petersburg before a spell on loan at Sochi.
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Football: Russia s Shirokov sentenced to community service after assault on referee
Russia s Roman Shirokov reacts during their Euro 2016 group G qualifying soccer match against Moldova at the Zimbru stadium in Chisinau, Moldova, Oct 9, 2015. (Photo: REUTERS/Gleb Garanich)
25 Dec 2020 09:15PM (Updated:
25 Dec 2020 11:33PM) Share this content
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MOSCOW: A Moscow court on Friday sentenced Roman Shirokov, the former captain of the Russian men s national soccer team, to 100 hours of community service over an assault on a referee, the Interfax news agency reported.
The 39-year-old, who was taking part in an amateur tournament in August, was angry when referee Nikita Danchenko refused to award him a penalty after he was challenged in the area, footage from the incident showed.