Football player Roman Neustadter granted Russian citizenship

Football player Roman Neustadter, a midfielder from the German football club FC Schalke 04, has been granted Russian citizenship, as is seen from a decree signed on May 18 by Russian President Vladimir Putin which has been posted on the official legal information web portal.

Neustadter, 28, made it clear in 2015 that he wished to play for the Russian national team. To receive a Russian passport, he recently renounced German citizenship following a number of legal procedures.

Neustadter was born in Dnepropetrovsk in 1988, and speaks Russian fluently. His father, Peter Neustadter, also a former Soviet professional footballer, brought his son to Germany while Roman was a child.

Roman Neustadter has been included in the Russian national 23-man squad to take part in the UEFA Euro 2016 in France.

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