Jokic coup for Torpedo

FC Torpedo Moskva have signed Serbo-Montenegrin international defender Djordje Jokic from OFK Beograd.

Harder road
The 24-year-old central defender has signed a three-year contract with the Moscow club after deciding that it was better to play in Russia than wait for a move to one of the big two clubs in Belgrade. "I have chosen a more difficult path," he explained.

'A bigger step'
"Many await a call from [FK] Crvena Zvezda or [FK] Partizan as the next step towards a European career," he added. "I accepted the offer from Torpedo because I believe that this is a bigger step. The Russian championship is stronger than ours, the club is ambitious and they will surely continue to be so."

Useful grounding
Jokic made his mark as Serbia and Montenegro reached the final of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship last summer, and he subsequently reached the semi-finals of the 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup with OFK. "I knew that people would see me at OFK and I believe I took my chance," he said. "The U21 team has also helped me to gain experience."

Senior appearances
Unusually slight for a central defender, Jokic started playing in his home town, Raska, for FK Ban before making the step up to OFK in June 2000. He has played 107 games for the club in the last four years, scoring five goals. In July 2004 he got his first chance in the senior national side, playing in the Kirin Cup in Japan.