Russia to appoint new coach by early next week

RUSSIA’S new national team coach to succeed Valery Gazzayev will be appointed early next week, the country’s soccer chief said yesterday.

"We will have discussions among the board members on Monday and on Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest, and we'll announce the new coach," said Vyacheslav Koloskov, president of the Russian Football Union (RFU).

"We can't afford to wait longer because in two weeks we face Ireland in a decisive Euro 2004 qualifier and we have to have a coach," he said.

Gazzayev quit as Russia coach following a lacklustre 2-1 defeat by Israel on Wednesday, the latest disappointment in a series of poor performances by the national team.

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

Koloskov hinted that Gazzayev's assistant, Alexander Borodyuk, is the favourite to land the job.

"Borodyuk's name is the first which comes to mind," Koloskov said. "He has been working with Gazzayev, he knows the players and, I think, he would make a natural transition."

Former Soviet striker Borodyuk, 40, had a fine playing career before retiring two years ago. He played in two World Cups, in Italy in 1990 and in the US four years later, and won a gold medal with the Soviet Union at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Recently, Koloskov named lack of knowledgeable coaches at the top level as one of the main problems facing Russian soccer. But once again, he rejected widespread calls to import a foreign coach for Russia's national side.

The RFU chief also ruled out the return of two former national team coaches, Anatoly Byshovets and Oleg Romantsev.

Byshovets, who led the Soviets to the 1988 Olympic title the country's last major international achievement, was fired midway through the Euro 2000 qualifiers following six consecutive defeats.

Romantsev was sacked following a dismal showing in last year's World Cup finals, where Russia failed to

advance from what was regarded as one of the easiest first-round groups.

"It's not a good idea, we already had Byshovets and Romantsev, but it didn't work out," Koloskov said.