Marseille sew up Sytchev deal

Olympique de Marseille have confirmed the signing of Russian international striker Dmitri Sytchev on a five-year deal from FC Spartak Moskva.

Debut on Friday
Sytchev, who is 19, will be available to make his Ligue 1 debut against Olympique Lyonnais on Friday. Alain Perrin, the Marseille general manager, was expecting the paperwork to be concluded today and said: "He will be eligible to appear against Lyon."

Loophole in law
Sytchev, who impressed for Russia in last summer's FIFA World Cup, walked out on Spartak in August after finding a loophole in Russian labour law - an action that earned him a four-month ban from the Russian Football Union.

Dynamo threat
Sytchev trained with FC Dynamo Kyiv during his suspension and the Ukrainian club have now threatened legal action against the player, alleging that he signed a preliminary contract. However, Perrin said: "This will not affect Sytchev's transfer."

Undisclosed fee
Spartak and Marseille both confirmed in late December that Sytchev would be joining the French side this month for an undisclosed compensation fee.