Kornilenko concludes Zenit move

UEFA Europa League play-off contenders FC Zenit St. Petersburg have concluded a deal to sign Belarus striker Sergei Kornilenko, who has scored six goals in ten Russian Premier-Liga matches for FC Tom Tomsk this season.

'A worthy acquisition'
The 26-year-old has signed a four-and-a-half year contract and coach Dick Advocaat, who will leave the club at the end of the season to take up a new post as coach of the Belgian national team, said: "He is a worthy acquisition and good reinforcement for us." After 14 league games, Zenit are sixth in the Russian table, five points adrift of leaders FC Rubin Kazan.

Step forward
Former FC Lokomotiv 96 Vitebsk (now FC Vitebsk), FC Dinamo Minsk and FC Dynamo Kyiv player Kornilenko joined Tom from FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the winter. The 30-times capped international, who has scored nine goals for Belarus, added: "I have been following Zenit for the past few years. Zenit play in Europe regularly, they won the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup not long ago and they also want to be Russian champions. They are well known in Europe and around the world. This is a step forward for me. I want to repay the fans for their belief."