Fabio Celestini is exposed to trouble in Switzerland

The Swiss coach went from FC Basel to CSKA Moscow.Image: KEYSTONE

The signing of Celestini at CSKA Moscow, a club historically attached to the Russian army, does not only raise ethical questions. The Vaud technician is exposed to legal and financial problems in Switzerland.

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It’s been official since Friday: Fabio Celestini, having led Basel FC for a few weeks ago, will lead the CSKA Moscow for the next two years, a nomination that makes you react in Switzerland.

First on the sporting plan. So far, Celestini had suggested that he aspired a position in a leading championship. Then on the political level. The Vaudois moved to Russia, a country engaged for more than three years in a war of aggression against Ukraine.

The choice of the club is also sensitive. The new employer of the Swiss technician, the CSKA Moscow, maintains direct links with power, and therefore with the conflict in Ukraine. Zoom on this mastodon of Russian sport, and on the legal and financial threats that weigh on Fabio Celestini following his signature in Moscow.

The link with the army

The proximity between the CSKA Moscow and the Russian army is directly visible in the name of the club. “CSKA” means “Central Army Sports Club”.

This link is not new. Founded in 1911 under the name “Olls”, the club was then an association of ski enthusiasts, already including members of the Russian imperial army. It was not until 1928 that he clearly displayed his military affiliation, adopting the acronym “CDKA” for “sports club of the Central House of the Red Army”. The organization then becomes a showcase of Soviet power. Sports practice is encouraged among the military, which makes it possible to quickly increase the level of the various teams.

Without doubt the most renowned player of the current CSKA Moscow workforce: Miralem Pjanic.image: www.imago-images.de

Subsequently, the Moscow club changed its name several times, while retaining its military affiliation. And even after the fall of the Soviet Union, the Ministry of Defense remains for many years the main owner, before giving in its shares. The term “CSKA” has been officially worn for 65 years.

The owner

If the Ministry of Defense is no longer involved, today, in the management of the CSKA, the club remains – like the majority of major Russian training courses – in the hands of the State or actors close to power. Thus, the CSKA belongs to the Development Bank of the Russian Federation: the Vnechekonombank (VEB). The wages of the players, and therefore of the Celestini coach, are funded by this establishment.

But the role of the VEB is strongly controversial. According to the agency Reutersit has injected billions of dollars since the war in key sectors of the Russian war economy. A study of Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics shows that a significant share of the financing of the military effort does not come from the official budget, but from public development banks like the VEB.

The Russian Federation Development Bank hides behind the CSKA.image: www.imago-images.de

The VEB is therefore the subject of strong criticism in the West. Shortly after the war was launched, she was registered on the list of sanctions in the European Union, quickly followed by Switzerland. Since then, it has been excluded from the Swift financial system. Note that Swiss banks, for example, are required to block any transaction from sanctioned companies. Due to its close ties with the VEB, the CSKA Moscow is also targeted by these measures.

Propaganda

Sport occupies a place of choice in Russian propaganda, and the CSKA Moscow does not escape this logic. As Calum Mackenzie, SRF correspondent in Moscow explains, the club has already distinguished itself several times since the start of the war. The CSKA thus organized collections of donations and goods for so -called “liberated” areas of Donbass, Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia. The club site even broadcasts videos in which hooded men thank the CSKA for these shipments.

The CSKA won the Russian Cup in 2025.image: www.imago-images.de

Far from being limited to humanitarian aid, the Moscow club said in November that it has sent 40 motorcycles to the front, to equip the naval infantry.

In such a context, we often speak of “sportswashing”, the use of sport to restore the image of a disputed country. Fabio Celestini’s commitment is part of this logic: Recruiting a successful coach like the ex-Coach of FC Basel allows Russia to show that it is not completely isolateddespite the sanctions and its exclusion from European competitions.

Controversial hooligans

Like other major Russian clubs, the CSKA Moscow has links with the Española battalion, a militia of hooligans from far -right backgrounds. This paramilitary group is active on the Ukrainian front.

Moscow hooligans are connected to the Española battalion.image: www.imago-images.de

There is no official link between the club and “Española”. However, the CSKA has never been publicly distant from this organization. Stanislav Orlov, commander of the battalion, would himself come from the ultras of the CSKA. In August 2023, Andreï Solomatin, a former club player, publicly announced his commitment to this armed militia.

The legal and financial consequences for Celestini

With this transfer to the CSKA Moscow, Fabio Celestini sees its scorned image – media and supporters who strongly criticized its decision. But that could be the least of his problems.

According to several sources, the coach would be generously paid in Russia. But according to Blick Alemanic, the millions he will receive in Moscow could become unusable once his contract is finished. Because of the sanctions against the VEB and the CSKA, Celestini will not be able to legally repatriate his money in Switzerland or in Spain, a country to which he is attached. As mentioned above, banks are required to block any payment from a sanctioned company. Theoretically, Celestini could, in Switzerland, request an exemption from the State Secretariat for the Economy (SECO), but the criteria to obtain it are extremely strict.

The Vaudois is exposed to other risks. Anyone residing in Switzerland is prohibited from receiving payments from a sanctioned company. In the event of sidelining, Celestini will therefore not be able to return to the country if he continues to perceive payments from Moscow. According to Blicknon-compliance with this legislation can lead to a prison sentence that can go up to five years. The sanction is even more severe in Spain.

The Vaudois initialed a two -year contract on Friday, with an optional additional year, at CSKA Moscow. In a flash, the one who straightened FC Basel destroyed everything he had built, becoming the symbol of disconnected football.

Fabio Celestini gives the impression of having lost her head. There are no other ways to say it.