Out with the old and in with the new seems to be the trend at Dynamo Moscow. With forward Aleksandr Kokorin joining Anzhi, the oldest Russian club has confirmed the transfer of yet another player that has had a long spell with the team. Thirty-five-year-old midfielder Igor Semshov, best known for being part of the "magic triangle" in Dynamo's midfield with Danny and current reserves coach Dmitri Khokhlov in the late 2000's, has been released by the club by mutual agreement. Dynamo manager Dan Petrescu revealed Semshov will be leaving the club a week before it was official. "We really respect Igor as a big professional, who must play a lot more," he said. "Therefore, it's decided that he will go to another club." The midfielder lost his spark last season, his playing time becoming more and more of a concern. With a slew of fresh, younger talent coming in to the team, Semshov found himself playing for the reserves, making a brief appearance for the First Team at the end of the season.

Semshov, who also played for CSKA, Torpedo and Zenit, capped 56 times for the Russia National Team, scoring 3 goals. His best international performance was the 2008 UEFA Euro, where he made the semi-finals with Russia. That year marked another fantastic run in his club career. He missed only one match and had Dynamo Moscow's best "goal + assist" record.

Semshov at Torpedo Moscow.

As a CSKA youth product, the midfielder began his Premier League career at the senior team, but soon transferred to Torpedo, where his performance really took off. He was the team's ultimate playmaker, consistently voted the team's best player of the season by supporters. At Dynamo, he was no less adored; he scored his first goal in March 2006, an equalizer against the now-defunct Saturn Ramenskoye, a fiery start to the magic - and the Dynamo captain's armband - that was to come.


At Dynamo, he made 164 appearances in all competitions, scoring 38 goals and providing 24 assists. His 7-year spell with the Moscovites was not without its share of controversy, however. From joining his teammate Danny at rival club Zenit St Petersburg in 2009, to taking after his favorite player and headbutting Zenit's Danko Lazovic when he returned to Dynamo, to the tension with manager Miodrag Bozovic, the midfielder's career has been anything but smooth sailing. Despite his impressive run, he never won any silverware beyond the bronze medals he acquired with Torpedo, Dynamo and Zenit. Yet his versatile plays often earned him praise as one of the best players in the league, and his attitude at times has earned him respect from supporters of all teams. As Dynamo's then-captain, Semshov took to the pitch alongside Torpedo skipper Denis Boyarintsev to address the rowdy hooligans who had stopped the Torpedo-Dynamo match at Eduard Streltsov Stadium during the 1/16th of the Russian Cup last September. His leadership as well as his ability to change the rhythm of the game alongside his fellow veterans left many a memorable moment in the hearts of every supporter.

No matter where his career takes him, time cannot erase his monumental contributions to the clubs in which he has played.

Here's to a good transition, for both Igor Semshov and his former club.