The Athletic report that Alisher Usmanov and USM Holdings recently brought a case against a company owned by Everton owner, Farhad Moshiri.
Documents filed at Moscow’s Arbitration Court a year ago which The Athletic claim to have been list Somelior Holdings Limited, a Cypriot-regstered entity that used to own 10% of USM Holdings as one of six defendants in a case brought by Usmanov and his conglomerate.
According to Moshiri’s camp, the court action, which they characterise as “the seizing of foreign investment in Russian companies under counter-sanctioning measures, was held behind closed doors in Russia is now “complete”.
Nevertheless, it has raised concerns over whether any potential buyer of Moshiri’s shares in Everton would be contravening Western sanctions against Usmanov, even though the asset in question was a personally owned by Moshiri rather than connected to the Club.
At issue is the possibility that the Anglo-Iranian might use the proceeds of his sale of Everton to pay damamges to the Uzbek-born tycoon who remains sanctioned by the United Kingdom, under measures taken following Russia’ invasion of Ukraine, sdue to his close ties with Vladimir Putin.
It was put to The Athletic, however, by “one source close to Moshiri with knowledge of the case” that UK laws and regulations would prevent him from paying damages to Usmanov.