Artem Dzyuba will continue his career at Akron, which was founded in 2018 and is a new member of the Russian Premier League (RPL). This was reported by Press service of the Tolyatti club.
“A contract has been signed with the experienced former forward of the Russian national team until the end of the 2024/25 season. We invite Artem to our club and wish him success!” – says the message.
“It will be a beautiful symbiosis”
Former Dynamo forward Lokomotiv and Russian national team Dmitry Bulykin told socialbites.ca that the deal benefited both the club and the player. According to him, Dzyuba himself has not yet lost his motivation to play at a high level.
“Given Artyom’s image and popularity, Akron will still gain something. But I still hope that Dziuba has the desire to play football, break records and prove himself, as he did a few years ago at Lokomotiv. So I hope that this will be a good symbiosis,” Bulykin said.
The former Lokomotiv striker recalled that Dzyuba played for the best clubs and became the Russian champion, which means that his experience should help Akron in the Premier League.
Bulykin also praised Dzyuba for the 36-year-old’s continued training and playing. According to the former forward, Dzyuba will be able to play for the second eight teams in the RPL standings for many more years.
“It is not clear what condition Dziuba is in”
Former Spartak and CSKA player Valery Masalitin admitted that he was surprised by the forward’s transfer to Akron. The former forward told socialbites.ca that Dziuba’s physical condition leaves question marks.
“It’s not clear how Dzyuba trained for six months, what shape he’s in. Akron’s financial conditions are not strong, as far as I know.
“It is clear that Dzyuba has achieved a lot in football, he is an experienced and talented player, but his physical condition is worrying. To be honest, I am surprised by this transfer,” he said.
The expert also spoke positively about Akron. Noting that the Togliatti team has made a good impression so far, Togliatti stressed that their main rivals in the RPL will be their neighbors at the bottom of the standings.
“I was young and handsome too”
Former head coach of the Russian national team Boris Ignatiev drew attention to Dzyuba’s age. The interlocutor of socialbites.ca noted that the football player had not been on the field for a long time, and now it is difficult to assess his condition. However, Ignatiev expressed hope that the forward could help his new team climb the rankings. Ignatiev also said that the purchase of Dzyuba was a good image move for Akron.
“Time will tell whether Artem can help the team. We haven’t seen him in action for a long time. I was once young and handsome, but now I’m just handsome. So it’s hard to say how everything will look. Given Dzyuba’s services to football, of course I would like to see him so that he remembers himself and allows the fans to look at him,” Ignatiev said.
The expert also admitted that Akron will be the last club in the forward’s career. According to Ignatiev, Dzyuba should not think about moving to a more serious team now.
He played for Spartak, Zenit and Lokomotiv
Artem Dzyuba is a graduate of Spartak, for which he played from 2006 to 2015. Then the forward moved to Zenit, with whom he became a four-time Russian champion.
After seven years with the blue-white-blues, Dziuba was transferred to the Turkish club Adana Demirspor and tried to make a career abroad, but remained on the bench. The forward broke his contract in search of game training and transferred to Lokomotiv, where he will play until the summer of 2024.
It is also worth noting that the striker played on loan for Tom, Rostov and Arsenal, and won the National Cup with the Rostov team.
Dzyuba played 55 matches for the Russian national team, scoring 30 goals and making 15 assists. He and the national team reached the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup.
The forward played in 26 matches in the 2023/24 season, scoring 4 goals and 4 assists in these matches. The 36-year-old player, who was left without a club after his contract with Lokomotiv expired, could not find a team for a long time until he transferred to Akron.
According to the results of seven rounds of the Russian Championship, the Tolyatti club occupies 14th place out of 16 teams in the play-off zone. The team scored only five points: one win, two draws and four losses.
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Source: Gazeta
Gregory Robert is a sports aficionado and a writer for “Social Bites”. He provides in-depth coverage of the latest sporting events and trends, offering a unique and knowledgeable perspective on the world of sports.