St. Petersburg, Feb 19 (IANS): FC Zenit St. Petersburg's director Dietmar Bayersdorfer lashed out at European clubs which, he said, inflate the price of players when dealing with Russian buyers on the international player transfer market.
"Abroad it is widely believed that Russian clubs are willing to pay more for top talent. But our club is committed to international rules of financial fair play," Bayersdorfer said Monday.
While keen to change Zenit's reputation on the international transfer market, Bayersdorfer also stressed that Zenit are looking to expand their academy programme and generally to improve their local talent scouting before heading overseas.
"We are working on a strategic selection plan, the central pillar of which is to identify players who have yet to reach their peak but who could one day reach the highest level," Bayersdorfer added.