Zenit FC use drone to deliver award during lockdown

Brazilian Malcom collects Player of the Month trophy in his apartment

People take a selfie with Saint-Petersburg Stadium behind them. FC Zenit St. Petersburg took the lead in the Russian Tinkoff Premier League, which remains suspended. EPA

Zenit St Petersburg have found a novel way to break the lockdown monotony by delivering their Player of the Month award using a drone.

Brazilian Malcom won nearly 30 per cent of the fan vote to pick up the award for March after Zenit built a nine-point lead at the top of the Russian Premier League standings before the season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Russia is in lockdown until April 30 while the league remains suspended until May 31, but the club managed to deliver the trophy without the former Barcelona winger having to step out of his apartment.

"I've just received a message that I need to open a window," Malcom said in a video on Twitter he recorded while a drone hovered outside his apartment.

The drone then swooped in through the window before landing on the floor for Malcom to pick up his trophy.

Malcom thanked the fans and ended the video saying: "Stay at home, it's important."

More than 1.6 million people have been infected by the coronavirus globally and more than 100,000 have died. Russia has over 13,500 confirmed cases and 106 deaths.