Rubin Kazan sporting director Oleg Yarovinsky says he has "immeasurable respect" for Oliver Abildgaard for how he handled his summer move to Celtic.
The Denmark midfielder arrived at Parkhead in the summer on an initial season-long loan and became their second acquisition from the Russian side after Sead Haksabanovic. It comes amid an exodus for the Kazan club who are scrambling to raise some cash with UEFA sanctions hitting them in the pocket.
Haksabanovic signed a permanent deal at Celtic Park but Abildgaard only penned a loan deal late in the window. And sporting director Yaronivsky has thanked him for how he handled the deal, staying in constant communication and refusing to push for a permanent exit in order to maximise their chances of a significant fee down the line.
He said: “He suspended his contract and left for Celtic. We decided to make it so that in a year Rubin could get a much better offer for him.
“Or Oliver can come back and continue playing for us from next summer. Abildgaard himself was in favour of such two options and acted in a human way.
“He discussed every step with the club, because it is important for him that Rubin get as much benefit from his future as possible. We are immensely grateful to him, because he could not do any of this.”
Yarovinsky also addressed the exits of Haksabanovic and Anders Dreyer, and while they weren't criticised for their conduct, he says it's only Abildgaard who merits "special" praise. He added: “With Haksabanovic and Dreyer, everything was also in dialogue, it’s just that Oli in a special way categorically refused to suspend the contract at the beginning of the season.
“Although he received even fatter offers from European leagues, we heard from him: I will leave Rubin only for money. For this, he has immeasurable respect.”
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