Bystrov on Spartak: Stankovic Deserves Sacking, Get Spalletti for Title Fight
The simmering discontent at Spartak Moscow has boiled over into a full-blown crisis, with former midfield dynamo Vladimir Bystrov launching a blistering broadside that leaves current manager Dejan Stankovic's position looking untenable. Speaking with the raw passion that once defined his playing days, Bystrov didn't mince words, stating flatly that Stankovic has 'earned his sacking' after a dismal start to the season that sees the legendary club languishing in sixth place, a staggering 18 points from 11 RPL matches—a return more befitting a mid-table outfit than a side with 22 national titles to its name.For Bystrov, the solution is as obvious as the problem: the board must act decisively, swallow the financial penalty of a buyout, and appoint a proven winner, specifically pointing to the immediate availability of Luciano Spalletti. 'I simply don’t understand who they can appoint now,' Bystrov lamented, his frustration palpable.'They need a coach who is not a no-name, but a good one, who knows how to win championships. Spalletti, in my opinion, is free right now.Please, take him. With him, you will one hundred percent be fighting for the championship.' This isn't merely a suggestion; it's a tactical manifesto rooted in a stark comparison of managerial pedigree. Bystrov argues that the current squad, which has been knocking on the title door for three consecutive seasons, is being critically underutilized.'Spalletti will squeeze a thousand times more out of Spartak with these same footballers than Dejan Stankovic,' he declared, drawing a line in the sand between a coach who orchestrates systems and one who seems lost within them. He pointed to Stankovic's initial promise—'Yes, he created a game, then it disappeared'—as evidence of a fleeting impact that has now utterly vanished, leaving a team of expensively assembled players looking directionless.'They bought players for him, he doesn't know what to do with them,' Bystrov concluded, a damning indictment of a manager seemingly out of his depth. This situation echoes historical parallels across European football, where clubs of Spartak's stature have hesitated at critical junctures, only to watch rivals seize the initiative.The potential appointment of Spalletti, a tactician with a storied history of success in Serie A, including a Scudetto with Napoli built on exhilarating, attacking football, would represent a statement of intent comparable to Pep Guardiola's arrival at Barcelona—a move that redefined a club's identity. The financial outlay for Spalletti, while significant, pales in comparison to the long-term cost of mediocrity, both in lost prize money and diminished global brand appeal.For Spartak, a club where the demand for success is as much a part of the fabric as the red-and-white stripes, the choice is clear: persist with a failing project or make the bold, ambitious play for a manager capable of transforming potential into silverware. The title race waits for no one, and as Bystrov has made unequivocally clear, with Stankovic at the helm, Spartak isn't even in the conversation.
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Mikhail Petrov123k2 days ago
spartak is a whole mess rn smh they need to figure it out asap
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Mikhail Volkov123k2 days ago
this is just so sad to see as a longtime fan proud of the players but the management needs to figure this out
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Dmitri Volkov123k2 days ago
spartak is such a mess rn smh feels like they never learn from their mistakes
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