5 February 2010 / TODAY’S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
Former Trabzonspor striker Fatih Tekke, who currently plays for Zenit, has agreed in principle on a three-year deal with Russian side Rubin Kazan.
Tekke’s contract with Zenit expires in August, and his transfer to Kazan, the champion of the past two seasons in the Russian soccer league, is expected to be finalized following the 10-day pre-season training camps of both teams, which headed to Spain on Thursday. Russian soccer commentators say Kazan wants Tekke soon and so it is prepared to pay for the buyout clause. Zenit, on the other hand, intends to release Tekke later. It is highly possible that Tekke will start with Kazan at the end of August. Meanwhile, Russian media called Tekke and Kazan a “happy Turkish reunion,” referring to Kazan’s Turkish player Gökdeniz Karadeniz, who played at Trabzonspor with Tekke. The media reports also recalled that Kazan’s Turkmen coach Kurban Berdiyev also speaks Turkish.
