Zenit St. Petersburg Overview

Jhon Duran’s career continues to be a whirlwind of goals and controversy, with his latest chapter in Russia starting in explosive fashion. The former Aston Villa striker, who recently completed a loan move to Zenit St Petersburg, found himself in the referee's notebook just five minutes into his debut for the club. It was a baptism of fire for the Colombian international, whose reputation for high-intensity play and occasional loss of discipline preceded him to his new surroundings. The 22-year-old was named in the starting XI for a pre-season friendly against Shanghai Port, a match intended to integrate him into the squad. However, the "friendly" nature of the contest was quickly forgotten when Duran became embroiled in a physical altercation with an opposition defender while chasing a long ball. The forward appeared to lose his composure during a battle for possession, leading to a confrontation that left spectators and officials stunned by its intensity so early in the game.

Still just 22 years old, Jhon Duran has joined the sixth club of his increasingly nomadic career and his third in the space of just 12 months, making the controversial decision to head to Russia and sign for Zenit St Petersburg. It is a little over a year since the former Aston Villa hitman was being linked with European giants Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, but after spells in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the striker is already drifting further into obscurity.