---
title: "FC Kharkiv condemns forward Sidorov's 'flight': RFS requests transfer certificate in FIFA TMS system"
description: "FC Kharkiv has officially condemned the departure of forward Alexey Sidorov, who left the team in July 2025. According to the club, the RFS requested a transfer certificate in FIFA TMS for his registration in a Russian club."
date: 2026-08-20T20:50:02.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/fc-kharkiv-condemns-sidorov-departure-rfs-fifa-tms
tags: [fk-harkov, aleksiy-sidorov, rfs, fifa-tms, upl, ukraine-football]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# FC Kharkiv condemns forward Sidorov's 'flight': RFS requests transfer certificate in FIFA TMS system

![FC Kharkiv emblem on a maroon background — the club condemned striker Sidorov's departure and requested a transfer certificate via FIFA TMS](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/21/fk-harkov-sidorov-rfs-fifa-tms/fk-harkov-sidorov-rfs-fifa-tms-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- FC Kharkiv forward Alexey Sidorov left the team without authorization in late July 2025, citing family circumstances, while under an active contract until June 30, 2028.
- On August 18, 2026, the club reported a request from the RFS in the FIFA TMS system to issue an international transfer certificate for Sidorov for registration in a Russian club with amateur status.
- FC Kharkiv categorically condemned the player's actions and declared its readiness to protect its rights in accordance with UAFA and FIFA regulations.
- Sidorov is a 25-year-old native of Makeyevka who has played 34 matches and scored 4 goals in the UPL for "Metalist 1925" and "Kolos".

Football Club Kharkiv has issued an official statement regarding the situation surrounding their forward, Alexey Sidorov, who, according to the press service, left the team's location without authorization and now, judging by incoming requests, intends to find employment in a club in the aggressor country. This is reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing the official website of the Kharkiv club. The incident became public after a request from the Russian Football Union for an international transfer certificate for the player appeared in the FIFA TMS system.

### Unauthorized departure and active contract

According to the club's version, in late July 2025, the 25-year-old forward Alexey Sidorov, a native of Makeyevka, left the FC Kharkiv location without authorization and went abroad, citing family circumstances. At the same time, the footballer had an active contract calculated until June 30, 2028, and he ignored repeated calls from the management to return and fulfill the obligations he had undertaken. Thus, at the time of the request submission to FIFA TMS, the player formally remained under contract with the Kharkiv club.

### RFS request in FIFA TMS system

As the FC Kharkiv press service reported, on August 18, 2026, the club received information about a request in the FIFA TMS system from the Russian Football Union to issue an international transfer certificate for Alexey Sidorov. According to the statement, the goal of the request was to register the footballer for a Russian club with amateur status. It was precisely this fact that became the trigger for the official condemnation of the player's actions by the team management.

### FC Kharkiv position: protecting rights

In the official statement, the club categorically condemned Sidorov's actions and declared its readiness to defend its interests. "Football Club 'Kharkiv' categorically condemns such actions by Sidorov and reserves the right to protect its rights and legitimate interests in the established legislative regulations of the UAFA and FIFA," the press service message says. Thus, the club reserves the right to appeal to disciplinary and regulatory mechanisms of both the UAFA and FIFA.

### Forward's career: path from Makeyevka to UPL

Alexey Sidorov is a 25-year-old native of Makeyevka who plays in the forward position. At the youth level, he trained at "Azovstal" (Mariupol), "Shakhtar" (Donetsk), "Metalist" (Kharkiv), and "Metallurg" (Zaporizhzhia). In adult football, he played for Zaporizhzhia's "Metallurg" and "Metalist 1925", and spent the second half of the 2024/25 season on loan at Kovalivka's "Kolos". In total, in the UPL, he has 34 matches — 25 for "Metalist 1925" and 9 for "Kolos" — in which he scored four goals (two for each of the clubs). At the moment, he has an active contract with FC Kharkiv until June 30, 2028.

### Contradictory data

In the primary text of Sport RBC.UA, the name of the Russian club for which Sidorov is allegedly to be registered is given in a distorted form ("RVСhellendzh"), and the exact spelling and status of the club in open sources are not unequivocally confirmed. Moreover, in related publications, the presentation of the event varies: some publications emphasize the fact of the MTS request in FIFA TMS, while others say that the player has already "made it into the squad" of a Russian club. The difference between a "request for a certificate" and "actual registration/inclusion in the squad" has not yet been clarified, so details about the specific Russian club should be treated with a reservation until official confirmation from the RFS or FIFA appears.

### Context: pressure on the club

The situation with Sidorov unfolds against the backdrop of a difficult period for FC Kharkiv itself: open sources also feature information that the Ukrainian Disciplinary Committee previously deprived the club of three points. This increases the resonance around the incident with the player's departure and underscores how sensitive the issue of compliance with contractual obligations is for the team in current conditions. In the same Sport RBC.UA material, it is mentioned as a separate context that earlier Serhiy Rebrov was spotted in Marbella in the same team as an ex-Russian national team footballer, however, the direct connection of this fact with the Sidorov case is not revealed in the text.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [UPL club makes statement about footballer fleeing to Russia](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/klub-upl-zrobiv-zayavu-vtechu-futbolista-1787258786.html) - Первоисточник: официальное заявление ФК «Харьков» о запросе РФС в FIFA TMS на МТС на Сидорова, дата запроса 18.08.2026, контракт до 30.06.2028, статистика игрока.
- [Following Tymoshenko's footsteps: UPL footballer fled Ukraine and tries to move to a Russian club](https://24tv.ua/sporttopnews/ru/gde-sejchas-aleksej-sidorov-fk-harkov-rasskazal-o-pobege-igroka_n3127364) - Подтверждает факт ухода игрока ФК «Харьков» и попытки перехода в российский клуб; подача с параллелью к Тимощуку.
- [Footballer traitor who fled Ukraine made it into a Russian club's squad](https://zn.ua/SPORT/sbezhavshij-iz-ukrainy-futbolist-predatel-popal-v-zajavku-rossijskoho-kluba.html) - Говорит о попадании в заявку российского клуба, что отличается от формулировки «запрос МТС» — зафиксировано в блоке противоречий.
- [Ukrainian Disciplinary Committee deprived FC Kharkiv of three points](https://www.sovsport.ru/football/news/330917-disciplinarnyj-komitet-ukrainy-lishil-fk-harkov-treh-ochkov) - Смежный контекст: штраф для самого ФК «Харьков», использован как фон, не относится напрямую к делу Сидорова.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Who is Alexey Sidorov and what is his contract?
**A:** He is a 25-year-old forward, a native of Makeyevka, who played in the UPL for "Metalist 1925" and "Kolos" (34 matches, 4 goals). He has an active contract with FC Kharkiv calculated until June 30, 2028.

### Q: When and why did Sidorov leave the team?
**A:** According to the club, in late July 2025, he left the FC Kharkiv location without authorization and went abroad, citing family circumstances, ignoring the management's calls to return.

### Q: What happened on August 18, 2026?
**A:** The club received information about a request from the Russian Football Union in the FIFA TMS system to issue an international transfer certificate for Sidorov for his registration with a Russian club in amateur status.

### Q: How did FC Kharkiv react?
**A:** The club categorically condemned the player's actions and stated that it reserves the right to protect its interests in the established legislative order of UAFA and FIFA regulations.

### Q: Are there any inconsistencies in the data?
**A:** The name of the Russian club in the primary source is given in a distorted form and is not unequivocally confirmed; also, in different publications, the event is presented either as an "MTS request" or as "making it into the squad", which has not yet been clarified.