Spartak’s Yartsev named as Russian coach

SPARTAK Moscow trainer Georgy Yartsev has been appointed coach of Russia’s struggling national team, the country’s soccer chief said yesterday.

"We have decided on Yartsev. It was a mutual decision, made by our executive body," said Alexander Tukmanov, executive director of the Russian Football Union (RFU).

The 55-year-old Yartsev replaces Valerey Gazzayev, who quit as national team coach following a lacklustre 2-1 home defeat by Israel in a friendly last Wednesday.

That was the latest disappointment in a series of poor performances by the national team, who lost to outsiders Albania and Georgia in their Euro 2004 qualifiers earlier this year.

However, Gazzayev's resignation last week surprised Russian soccer chiefs.

Tukmanov said the RFU had to act quickly to find a replacement.

"We have our next Euro 2004 qualifier, against Ireland, in less than two weeks, so even a day makes a difference," he said.

Tukmanov added that Rinat Dasayev, voted the world's best goalkeeper in 1988, and fellow former Soviet international Alexander Borodyuk had been named as Yartsev's assistants.

Russia, third in Euro 2004 Group 10 behind Switzerland and Ireland, have three games remaining. They travel to Dublin to take on the Irish on September 6, before hosting Switzerland four days later and Georgia on October 11, both in Moscow.

Yartsev, a long-time assistant under former Russia boss Oleg Romantsev at Spartak Moscow, has experienced a fluctuating career as a coach.

He took over a young Spartak side in 1996 and led them to the league title in his first season in charge.

But he was unexpectedly sacked at the start of the next season when Romantsev decided to return.

Yartsev, who spent most of his playing career with Spartak, then surprised many by joining city arch-rivals Dynamo as coach in 1998.

However, he was sacked the following year after Dynamo lost to Alania Vladikavkaz 5-1 the club's heaviest defeat in the post-Soviet era.

Yartsev took over Russian premier league side Rotor Volgograd for the 2000 season, but again he lasted only a few months before being sacked following a string of poor results.