Socceroos defender Ivan Franjic has left Russian Premier League side Torpedo Moscow more than two years early over unpaid wages.
The 27-year-old former Brisbane Roar player, named on Monday in the A-League’s team of the decade, terminated his contract with the club and has left Russia, Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) confirmed on Tuesday.
“The PFA can confirm that Ivan sought the advice of the PFA’s lawyers,” PFA said in a statement.
“This followed the repeated failure of his club Torpedo Moscow to honour its contractual obligations to him.
“The PFA requested that the club remedy the situation, however this was not done and as a result Ivan terminated his contract for just cause, in accordance with FIFA regulations.
“Ivan is now a free agent and entitled to sign with the club of his choosing.”
Franjic, who was part of the Socceroos’ World Cup campaign and Asian Cup-winning team, won three A-League championships during his five years with the Roar before leaving at the end of 2014 on a three-year deal.
But his time with Torpedo has been plagued by injuries, including a hamstring tear sustained in Brazil and a hip problem sustained in the Asian Cup semi-final win over United Arab Emirates in January.
The versatile utility has only made three starts for Torpedo, who currently sit second last in Russia’s top-flight competition.
Franjic was reportedly close to joining Melbourne City on loan during the January transfer window, but the arrangement fell through at the last minute.
AAP