Zenit sign Pogrebnyak and Ricksen
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Article summary
FC Zenit St. Petersburg have signed Russian international striker Pavel Pogrebnyak while securing the services of Fernando Ricksen on a permanent contract.
Article body
The Russian Premier-Liga may only have finished at the weekend but FC Zenit St. Petersburg have wasted no time bolstering their squad with the signing of striker Pavel Pogrebnyak.
National service
The 23-year-old Russian international, who came through the ranks at FC Spartak Moskva, enjoyed a productive season with FC Tom Tomsk, scoring 13 goals in 26 games for the mid-table club. That form earned recognition from Russia coach Guus Hiddink, with Pogrebnyak winning five caps and registering two goals for his country since his debut on 16 August. The forward has also played for FC Khimki and FC Shinnik Yaroslavl.
Extended deals
Zenit, who finished fourth in the 2006 table, have also extended the contracts of 36-year-old Olexandr Gorshkov, Olexandr Spivak (31) and Fernando Ricksen (30). Ukrainians Gorshkov and Spivak have prolonged their stay by a year while former Netherlands midfielder Ricksen, who had been on loan from Rangers FC, has signed a permanent three-year deal.
