Levski Stars lured to Moscow in elaborate Hoax, Darko Tasevski Reveals
SOFIA, Bulgaria – Former Levski Sofia forward Darko Tasevski recounted a shocking tale of deception involving a fabricated transfer offer from Russian club Rubin Kazan, an incident now known as the “Kazan Affair.” Tasevski,speaking on the “Code Sport” podcast,detailed how he and three other Levski starters were flown to Moscow under false pretenses,ultimately missing a crucial derby match and contributing to a painful defeat for the club and its fans.
The incident, which occurred during an unspecified time period, involved Odor Batkov ordering Tasevski, Zhivko Milanov, Ze Soares, and yusuf Rabeh to travel to Moscow, accompanied by konstantin Bajdekov and agent Nikolay Zheinov. Upon arrival,it quickly became apparent the offer was a sham. Levski played – and lost – the derby without its key players, a result that remains a deeply felt memory for supporters.
Tasevski described receiving contracts offering salaries of $80,000 each, a figure that promptly raised suspicions. “As soon as we got those contracts,something seemed rotten to me. Again you say to yourself – come on, what salaries, 80,000 dollars each! We are good, but so much… something is wrong.80,000 dollars at the time… I had played in Ukraine and understood what was being said in Russian, so even from the wait it looked suspicious to me.”
The group was met by individuals driving black G-Classes, dressed casually in flip-flops and slippers, and told to rest before undergoing medical examinations. tasevski noted the hurried demeanor of their escorts, as if anticipating someone else to take over. The following day, a woman tasked with transporting them revealed she wasn’t affiliated with any team, simply instructed to drive them to a clinic.
After undergoing routine blood and urine tests at a standard clinic – not a specialized sports facility – the players were told Rubin Kazan representatives would arrive. They waited in vain. “The next day we found out it was all a hoax,” Tasevski said. “We looked for a flight,but there was none – until the next day. During the match we were in the air. We landed and found out that we lost 0:2.”
The “Kazan Affair” remains a notorious example of attempted player manipulation in Bulgarian football, highlighting the vulnerabilities players face and the potential for unscrupulous actors to disrupt competitive integrity.
