Dinamo capture Latvian duo
Friday, December 8, 2006
Article summary
FC Dinamo 1948 Bucuresti have reinforced their squad for the UEFA Cup Round of 32 by signing Latvian internationals Maris Smirnovs and Deniss Romanovs.
Article body
January move
The pair, who were free agents, will join the Romanian club in January having left Virsliga side SK Ditton. Smirnovs, a 30-year-old centre-back, has won 22 caps for Latvia, while 28-year-old goalkeeper Romanovs has represented his country on three occasions. Both were virtual ever-presents this year as Ditton finished fifth in the Latvian top flight.
'Solid and ambitious'
"I am delighted," Romanovs told uefa.com. "It will be interesting to test myself in a strong league. Dinamo are a solid and ambitious club and that suits me." The duo, who both had six-year spells with FK Ventspils, winning the Latvian Cup in 2003 and 2004, join a team who are eleven points clear in Romania's Liga 1 and who have booked their place in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup with one Group F game to spare, having defeated Beşiktaş JK and Bayer 04 Leverkusen and drawn with Club Brugge KV.