Veteran Italian footballer Claudio Marchisio signs for Zenit St Petersburg after he ended 25-year stint with Juventus

Zenit St. Petersburg have signed Italian midfielder Claudio Marchisio on a free transfer.

The 32-year-old signed a two-year contract with the Russian club on Monday after he was released by Juventus last month.

Marchisio left Juventus in August following what the club called 'the agreed termination of his contract.' He spent 25 years with Juventus since joining at the age of seven.

The veteran Italian star who played 55 times for his country also played nearly 400 games for Juventus, winning seven Serie A titles.

In a statement on the Zenit website, Marchisio said: 'I like the club and its ambition.

When I left Juventus, I promised that I wouldn't move to any other Italian team, so I wanted to find a club which shared my values.'