Aussie Brisbane Roar's Socceroo Ivan Ranjic about to sign with Russian Torpedo de Moscow

The Australian performance in the past World Cup of Brazil has proved to be successful for a few  players as they have being followed by European teams to be signed for the future. A lucky one is Ivan Francij who is close to signing with the Russian team Torpedo Moscow.

Torpedo Alexander Tukmanov was on Thursday quoted by Russian agency R-Sport:"almost all of the agreements regarding the transfer" have been reached with his A-League club, Brisbane Roar. The 26-year-old started at right back in Australia's 3-1 loss to Chile at the recent World Cup.

His first-half cross was headed home by Tim Cahill for the Socceroos' goal, but Franjic later pulled a hamstring, was substituted and subsequently ruled out of the rest of the tournament. Francij reached just the 9^th match played as a Socceroo in an international game, since he participated for the first time against Hong Kong in 2009.

If the transfer goes through and the player signs a new contract in Russia, Franjic will become the only Australian playing in the top Russian league after Luke Wilkshire was released by Dynamo Moscow earlier this month, after six seasons with the club.

Franjic, born in  the Melbourne in 1987, has huge experience at the Aussie League, playing 113 games for the Brisbane Roar, and a really successful career in Australia, winning three A-League titles, including the last season. But the next Socceroo won't be playing to reconquer that championship.

The coming season will be Torpedo Moscow's first in the Russian Premier League since 2006.

By Santi Ivar

Sources:

www.Smh.com.au

Photo: The Guardian