“I have always been and will be proud to play for Zenit. Thanks to Zenit for the offer to extend the contract, but I decided to leave the club. This decision was not easy for me, and nevertheless I do it with pride and a sense of satisfaction for the work done and look forward to a new challenge. It's priceless. Knowing that Zenit is behind my back, I want to play even more and move on, ”his wife Ekaterina quoted Smolnikov as saying on Instagram.
Smolnikov, 31, moved to Zenit from Krasnodar in 2013. Last season, he played 18 matches in all tournaments, scored one goal and made two assists. The player left Zenit as a free agent due to the expiration date of the contract. After it became known that he again signed an agreement with Krasnodar.
Earlier, agent Alexander Manyakov explained the reason for Smolnikov's transfer to Krasnodar.