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Brazilian footballer Santos receives passport of Russian citizen — ministry

Douglas Santos has been playing as a left-back for Zenit St. Petersburg FC since July 2019

MOSCOW, October 25. /TASS/. Douglas Santos, a Brazilian footballer currently playing for Zenit St. Petersburg FC in the Russian Premier League (RPL), received a Russian passport, Irina Volk, a spokesperson for the Russian Interior Ministry, said on Friday.

"Today, my colleagues from the Migration Department of the Main Directorate of the Russian Interior Ministry for the city of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, presented the footballer with a Russian passport <…>," she told TASS.

"I congratulate the new citizen of our country with this remarkable event," Volk added.

On Monday, October 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an official document granting the Russian citizenship to Brazil’s Santos.

Santos, 30, has been playing as a left-back for Zenit St. Petersburg FC since July 2019. He is already a five-time winner of the Russian championship, a two-time winner of the Russian Cup, and the holder of Russia’s Super Cup.

The Brazilian defender has scored seven goals and provided 33 assists in his 198 match appearances with Zenit St. Petersburg FC.

Playing for his Brazilian national side in 2016, he won a silver medal at the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.