 On 2 March 2009, Alex was presented by the club and was given number 12 shirt
.Alex made his debut for the club, where he made his first start and played 90 minutes, in a 1–1 draw against Zenit Saint Petersburg on the opening game of the season and two weeks after the opening game of the season, Alex scored his first goal in a 2–0 win over Spartak Nalchik when he scored in a free-kick.On 23 May 2009, Alex scored a brace in a 5–1 win over Amkar Perm.In his first season, Alex had an optimal season, with the club second place, missing out to become first place behind Rubin Kazan, who won the title for the second time, as Alex made 29 appearance scoring 12 goals and providing 9 assists.