Putin cautiously defends purchase of pricy Hulk

Putin said his native Saint Petersburg club had made its own decisions through management at the huge Gazprom gas monopoly and did not use state money to pay $6.5 million a year for the former Porto striker.The Russian strongman and avid sports fan said he like others was torn between wanting to see more local talent in the league and having fans enjoy watching some of the worlds most gifted players.I also complain sometimes. And just today I was once again fighting with the heads of companies, Putin told a special meeting devoted to culture.And I would like to note that it is the companies that buy the players and not the government, he added in televised remarks.But the fans also want to see world stars -- and not those who are on the wane, but those who are hitting their peak, who are on the rise.This also has certain pluses -- and we are talking about something that touches millions of fans, he added, without referring to the Hulk controversy directly.Zenit have been hit by bruising internal divisions since being joined by Hulk and former Benfica midfielder Axel Witsel at the start of the month on a reported 100-million-euro ($130 million) transfer.The clubs Russian captain Igor Denisov and leading scorer Alexander Kerzhakov have already been sent down to the youth squad for going public with new wage and team demands.The defending league champions meanwhile find themselves languishing in fourth place and threatened by a broader team walkout.Zenit have already accused Denisov -- now hoping to negotiate a new deal despite his $3-million annual contract being good through 2015 -- of being unprofessional.