MOSCOW, July 23, Sergey Yaremenko. Lokomotiv Moscow head coach Josef Zinnbauer, commenting on the signing of a contract with striker Ivan Ignatiev, said that he knows about the difficult past of a football player, but this is not so important. Ignatiev signed a contract with Lokomotiv on Friday. The agreement with the 23-year-old striker is designed for one year with the possibility of extension for another two. Prior to this, the football player was on viewing at the railroad. Earlier, the media reported that Ignatiev has problems with discipline. «The player's past is not so important. First of all, we look at the form the player is in now. We have watched Ignatiev for quite a long time and the impression was positive. Against the background of his work, the player was offered a contract. We knew his history — in Russia it is known more than me, but I took note of these conversations. We looked at what his physical condition was, how long he needed to get into optimal shape. Based on this, we decided that Ignatiev remains with us,» Zinnbaeur said at a press conference. «The decision on Ignatiev matured quite quickly — there were no discussions in the coaching staff. We know everything about his abilities and potential, even if his last two years were not impressive. I have there were players who made mistakes in their youth, but then everything was corrected. This is a chance for Ignatiev,» said Zinnbauer.
