Soccer-Spartak Moscow sign Bulgaria captain Popov

By Dmitriy Rogovitskiy MOSCOW, June 3 (Reuters) - Bulgaria captain Ivelin Popov has joined Spartak Moscow from fellow Russian Premier League side Kuban Krasnodar, Spartak said on Wednesday in a statement on their official website(www.spartak.com). The attacking midfielder has signed a long-term contract with the side from the Russian capital. The 27 year-old started his career with the Bulgarian side Litex Lovech, before moving to Turkey to play for Gaziantepspor. He then moved to the south of Russia, joining Kuban. Popov has won 52 caps for Bulgaria and has scored nine goals. "I had three or four offers, but when a concrete offer came in from the red and whites, I told my club immediately that I wanted to play for Spartak," Popov said. "My new club is the most famous in Russia. This is a big step forward my career," he added. Spartak finished sixth last season. (Reporting by Dmitriy Rogovitskiy; editing by Justin Palmer)