FC Spartak Moscow dismisses chief coach Massimo Carrera

FC Spartak Moscow’s chief coach Massimo Carrera has been dismissed, the football club’s press-service has said.

The decision to terminate the contact with Carrera, 54, was made by the club’s board of directors. Spain’s Raul Riancho, 58, a member of Carrera’s staff, has been appointed acting chief coach.

"The club thanks Massimo for the job done. His name was written in gold letters in the history of the Red-Whites as one of the co-authors of a long-cherished champion title," the statement runs. "However the results of the last season were found unsatisfactory. None of the goals set were accomplished. The team’s results and play this season have shown no trend for the better."

In the eleventh round of Russia’s national championship on Sunday Spartak suffered a 2-3 defeat in a home encounter with Arsenal, from Tula - a third loss running. With eighteen points scored Spartak is currently number six in the Russian Premier League standings.

Carrera joined Spartak’s coaching staff in 2016. Before, he was an assistant to Antonio Conte, who led Turin’s Juventus (2009-2014) and Italy’s national squad (2014-2016). At first, Carrera was responsible for Spartak’s defense line. In August 2016, he took over as chief coach after Dmitry Alenichev resigned. In the first season following Carrera’s appointment Spartak grabbed the national title - the first in 16 years. Before the beginning of the 2017-2018 season Spartak won Russia’s Super Cup in a clash with FC Lokomotiv Moscow.

In the last season Spartak placed third with 56 points and entered the third qualification round of the 2018-2019 Champions’ League only two be knocked out by Greece’s PAOK FC after two matches on aggregate.