Ukrainian defender Yaroslav Rakitsky has left Zenit St Petersburg after requesting an early termination of his contract, Spanish newspaper Marca reported.
After missing his team's last game last Monday, coach Sergei Simak made it clear that the Ukrainian central defender wanted to spend time with his family, given the current situation in Ukraine.
But then Zenit issued an official statement saying that "Jaroslav Rakitsky asked for an early termination of his contract, and the club agreed to this."
Rakitsky joined Zenit Saint Petersburg in 2019 from Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk, for about $11 million.
"Rakitsky played 108 matches with the team, scored 7 goals and provided 15 assists," Zenit said in his statement. "While in Saint Petersburg, he won 3 titles in the Russian League, the Russian Cup and the National Super Cup twice."
"The club and the fans would like to thank Jaroslav Rakitsky for his time here and to acknowledge the professionalism and love he showed while with us."