Russian internationals Kokorin and Mamaev jailed for hooliganism

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A Moscow court on Wednesday found Russian soccer players Pavel Mamaev and Alexander Kokorin guilty of hooliganism over a night of drunken assaults and sentenced them in prison.

Mamaev received a sentence of one year and five months, while Kokorin one year and six months. The court also convicted two of their co-defendants, including Kokorin's brother, issuing similar sentences.

Mamaev, a midfielder for Krasnodar, and Kokorin, a Zenit Saint Petersburg forward, attacked two officials in an upmarket Moscow cafe after a drunken night out in October 2018.

The duo also assaulted the chauffeur of a TV presenter as he waited in a car park. The driver was hospitalized with injuries and a criminal probe was opened.

Alexander Kokorin (L) and Alexander Protasovitsky (M) listen to a police officer at Presnensky Court in Moscow, Russia, May 6, 2019. /VCG Photo

Kokorin's lawyer Tatiana Stukalova said "We will definitely submit an appeal" within the 10-day limit, claiming the verdict was based solely on victims' testimony.

"We expected the court would announce shorter sentences and show its humanity," she said.

By Russian rules, a day in pre-trial jail counts toward 1.5 days in a colony. They will spend the remainder in penal colonies.

Both players are Russian internationals though Kokorin last played for the national side in late 2017, while Mamaev was last selected in 2016.

Source(s): AFP