MOSCOW, August 8. /TASS/. The Executive Bureau of the Russian Football Union (RFU) has named Brazilian forward Malcom as the best football player of the Russian Premier League’s (RPL) 2022/2023 season, the RFU’s press office said in a statement on Tuesday.
Playing for Zenit St. Petersburg football club in the RPL 2022/2023 season, Malcom netted 23 goals and served up nine assists in his 27-match appearances, eventually leading the club to the Russian Football Championship and the Russian Super Cup.
Malcom is currently playing for Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal football club. Zenit FC Director General Alexander Medvedev announced to TASS earlier that the Russian club would receive 60 million euros ($65.6 million) under Malcom’s transfer deal to the Saudi football club.
The Brazilian footballer, 26, joined Zenit St. Petersburg FC in 2019. He appeared in 109 matches for the Russian club, tallying 42 goals and 24 assists. Before moving to Russia, he played for France’s FC Bordeaux and then for Spain’s Barcelona FC, winning the 2018/2019 Spanish Football Championship with that club.
On February 24, 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued an executive order to grant Russian citizenship to Malcom.