CSKA bid farewell to Vágner Love

Striker Vágner Love has left UEFA Champions League group stage contenders PFC CSKA Moskva, joining Chinese side Shandong Luneng Taishan FC in a reported €12m transfer.

"It was definitely not an easy decision for me," said the 29-year-old. "I had dreamed about playing with my team-mates again in the Champions League and fighting for another league title. The club did everything to keep me, but I have to accept that my career will not last forever and I need to think about my family and the future. I am making a sacrifice to some extent, but I will never receive an offer like this again. I have agreed to move, but my heart and soul will be with CSKA forever."

Vágner Love first arrived at CSKA from SE Palmeiras in 2004 and he would claim a total of 86 goals in 169 Premier-Liga games during two spells with the Army Men. He won three Russian titles, six domestic cups and the 2004/05 UEFA Cup, scoring in the 3-1 final victory against Sporting Clube de Portugal. He had been loaned back to Palmeiras and then CR Flamengo, before Flamengo signed him in 2012. However, he returned to Moscow last winter on a contract binding him to CSKA until 2016.

"Vágner made a huge contribution to almost all of CSKA's recent successes but we understood this was a once-in-a-lifetime offer for the player," the Russian champions said in a statement. "CSKA have always tried to take care of this player and his family's interests."