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Scotland champion Glasgow Celtic held a press conference where they announced that defender Jiri Jarosik was acquired from London. The club signed a three-year contract with the player.
"He is very talented and has a lot of experience in high-level games," said Celtic coach Gordon Strachan. "I feel that he will make a significant contribution to the club as we face challenges in both the Champions League and the Scottish Premier League."
"Joining Celtic is a huge honor," said the player himself. "I am excited about the move to Celtic and hope to bring success to the club with my game."
The 28-year-old Czech was loaned to Birmingham last season because he failed to establish himself in the Chelsea team, to which he moved in January 2005 from Moscow's CSKA.
Jarosik started his professional football career in 1995 with Liberec Slovan. Later, the Czech represented Prague's Slavia team, and finally moved to Moscow's CSKA in 2003, where he played 48 matches and scored 11 goals. On the field for London's Chelsea team, he appeared 20 times, 6 of them in the starting lineup. Last season, he played 32 matches for Birmingham, scoring 8 goals.
The Scottish club now needs to strengthen its defensive line, as retired Roy Keane left the club, as well as the uncertain future of Stilian Petrov, who demands to be sold, and team captain Neil Lennon's future. The latter has not yet signed a new contract. Therefore, it is possible to expect several new players in the club.
