French court approves extradition of ex Portsmouth owner Antonov to Lithuania

A French court has ruled that Russian banker Vladimir Antonov, a former owner of Portsmouth, can be extradited to Lithuania, where he faces allegations linked to the collapse of a leading Lithuanian bank.Antonov was detained in western France in December after Lithuania issued a European arrest warrant, according to his lawyer.He is accused of stripping assets and funds from Snoras, the Lithuanian lender where he was a majority shareholder, over the period 2008 to 2011, when the bank was nationalised.A second arrest warrant issued in December 2025 added allegations including corruption, money laundering and bankruptcy, with total losses put at at least €478m.Antonov’s lawyer said the decision would be challenged and raised safety concerns linked to where he would be transferred.Henry Ermeneux said: “The court clearly did not take into account the real risk to Mr. Antonov’s life in Eastern Europe.”The case has a renewed football dimension because Antonov’s ownership of Portsmouth in 2011 became an emblematic example of how legal and financial issues outside the sport can rapidly destabilise club operations.Antonov bought Portsmouth in June 2011 when they were in the Championship, taking control via his company Convers Sports Initiatives.He stepped down in November 2011 after Convers Sports Initiatives went into administration following his arrest in London at Lithuania’s request over fraud allegations.Portsmouth later entered administration during the same season, triggering a points deduction and relegation from the Championship, with the episode shaping how clubs, leagues and advisers assess funding sources and ownership structures.In Lithuania, a court sentenced Antonov in absentia in 2024 to 10.5 years in prison for embezzlement, adding to the legal exposure he has faced across multiple jurisdictions.Separately, Antonov was jailed in Russia in 2019 for bank fraud linked to an unsecured loan arrangement, after pleading guilty alongside co-defendants, underlining the persistent nature of the claims surrounding his financial activities.From a sports business perspective, the extradition ruling is likely to be watched by leagues and regulators as a reminder that background checks are not static and that enforcement actions can emerge years after a takeover.It also reinforces the risk for clubs that rely on leveraged, opaque or cross-border capital, where legal proceedings can quickly translate into boardroom disruption, insolvency pressure and reputational damage with sponsors, lenders and supporters.The next step is Antonov’s appeal process in France, which will determine whether the extradition proceeds and how quickly Lithuania can secure his transfer to face the outstanding allegations.