LOKOMOTIV CONTINUE TO BUILD WITH ILIC AND MAICON

With the start of the Rosgosstrakh Championship of Russia only a few days off, Lokomotiv Moscow have bolstered their efforts with the arrival of twenty year-old striker Maicon from Fluminense of the Brasileirão and Slovenian international Branko Ilič from FC Moscow.


In addition to the Railwaymen’s other major winter signing, Oleksandr Aliyev from Dinamo Kyiv, Yuriy Semin’s forces are an immediate threat to challenge for the top three and ultimately a berth in the Champions League.

Branko Ilič, who joined FC Moscow from Real Betis in September 2009, will immediately move into the starting eleven as a central defender as Lokomotiv shore up defending flaws with long-term injury losses of Rodolfo and Sergey Efimov.

Maicon rose to prominence starring for the Brazil's U-20 side in the U-20 World Cup this past October. A versatile attacker, equally comfortable on the wing or as a striker he signed a four-year contract for the Railwaymen with a transfer for a fee speculated to be in €4 million range. Joining the striking core of Dmitriy Sychev and Nigerian international Peter Odemwingie could signal a possible late deal for Dramane Traoré, who showed well for Kuban Krasnodar last year.

Lokomotiv open their season on Sunday as they visit two-time defending champions Rubin Kazan.