Sibir skipper Medvedev jumps at Rubin chance

Forward Aleksei Medvedev said the chance to join Russian champions FC Rubin Kazan from FC Sibir Novosibirsk was "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" after signing a two-and-a-half year contract with the club.

The 33-year-old former Sibir captain, who last month scored the Siberian club's first-ever goal in European competition as they knocked out Apollon Limassol FC in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round, has agreed terms on the transfer to the Premier-Liga winners of 2008 and 2009.

Medvedev duly swaps Sibir's UEFA Europa League play-off against PSV Eindhoven for the chance to represent Rubin Kazan in the UEFA Champions League group stage. "I am going to Rubin to play, not finish my career," he said. "I decided to join Rubin because I would like to fight for the title and test myself in the UEFA Champions League. A transfer like this is a rare chance, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Medvedev had signed for Sibir before the 2008 season from PFC Krylya Sovetov Samara, having previously played for FC Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast, FC Dinamo Moskva and FC Tom Tomsk. He scored 18 times in the 2009 campaign to top the second-division goal charts and help Sibir, the 2010 Russian Cup runners-up, to promotion.

Medvedev's transfer is the latest piece of business in a busy summer for Rubin. The champions have also recruited strikers Alexandru Antoniuc and Obafemi Martins and full-back Oleg Kuzmin, while Aleksandr Bukharov and Sergei Semak were sold to Premier-Liga leaders FC Zenit St. Petersburg. Rubin discover their group stage opponents in the draw in Monaco on 26 August.