Football: Krasnodar striker Ari signs three-year extension
Ari, who played on Brazil's U-20 national team, is uncapped at the senior level.
MOSCOW (AFP) - FC Krasnodar s Brazilian striker Ari has signed a three-year contract extension, the Russian Premiere League club said Tuesday.
The 30-year-old, who has scored five goals in 15 games this season, transferred to the southern Russian club from Spartak Moscow in 2013.
"I m very happy to have extended my deal with Krasnodar," the club quoted Ari as saying.
"My team and I will continue to work toward a championship title and an appearance in the Champions League."
The terms of the contract extension were not disclosed. Krasnodar are sixth in the league seven points behind leaders CSKA Moscow.
Ari, who played on Brazil s U-20 national team, is uncapped at the senior level.
The Brazilian national said in November that former Russian national team coach Fabio Capello had suggested he acquire Russian citizenship for a chance to play on the squad.
Ari said that talk of applying for citizenship stopped when Capello -- who was reportedly the highest paid national manager at the 2014 World Cup -- was sacked with a mammoth pay-off in July 2015.
"I still have the ambition to play for the Russian national team," said Ari.
Brazilian goalkeeper Marinato Guilherme, who plays for Lokomotiv Moscow, received Russian citizenship last year and said he would be keen to play for the national team if selected.
Last month Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko said the country was contemplating granting citizenship to German midfielder Roman Neustadter to add depth to the national team.
