Tatarstan awards order of merit to Turkish footballer

ISTANBUL

Turkish footballer Gokdeniz Karadeniz was awarded with order of merit on Tuesday by the Republic of Tatarstan for his contributions to the development of football in the country, according to a statement from his football club Rubin Kazan.

Karadeniz, 38, who took to the pitch for the last time for Rubin Kazan on Monday against Ufa, announced his retirement during the match delivering an emotional speech that led some supporters to burst into tears, the statement said.

"This is not a farewell. It is an inception. I want to remain a part of the game and become a coach," Karadeniz said at his speech, according to the statement.

Monday's game was the 300th appearance of Karadeniz with Rubin Kazan, where he played since 2008 after moving from the Turkish side Trabzonspor.

Rubin Kazan has retired Karadeniz's number-61 jersey.

Reporting by Mutlu Demirtastan; Writing by Fatih Hafiz Mehmet