Sporting stump up for Izmailov
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Article summary
Sporting Clube de Portugal have paid FC Lokomotiv Moskva €4.5m for midfielder Marat Izmailov following a successful loan spell in Lisbon last season.
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Loan success
The 25-year-old, capped 31 times by Russia but not included in the UEFA EURO 2008™ squad, has signed a five-year contract having spent the 2007/08 campaign on loan at the Estádio José Alvalade. He made an instant impression, scoring the only goal as Sporting beat FC Porto 1-0 in the Portuguese Super Cup, and was a regular throughout the season. Izmailov played in all six of Sporting's UEFA Champions League group-stage games, and scored four times in 23 league appearances. Sporting lifted the Portuguese Cup and finished second in the Liga.