Sports commentator Dmitry Guberniev weighed in on comments made by Leonid Slutsky, the former Rubin Kazan head coach and a well-known TV host, who had labeled Slutsky as a balabol. The exchange surfaced during the program Back to Home, hosted by Dmitry Tarasov, on the YouTube channel Motherland Media.
Guberniev defended his stance by saying that there is no fault in Slutsky’s words, describing himself as a balabol who is nonetheless very talented. He acknowledged Slutsky as a capable coach but argued that recent years have seen a downturn in his fortunes. If asked to sum up Slutsky in one word, Guberniev suggested
“Legend”—a characterization he offered in quotes when speaking with RB Sports.
Leonid Slutsky led Rubin Kazan from December 2019 until November 2022. Under his guidance, the Kazan club faced a difficult season that culminated in relegation to the First Division at the end of the latest campaign, though he remained in his role for a time. Slutsky’s departure from Rubin Kazan was announced on November 15 after a 0-0 draw with Enisey.
In another development, reports noted that Slutsky had previously stated that Dynamo should not sack their head coach, Slaviša Jokanović, reflecting the ongoing tensions and opinions circulating around coaching decisions in the capital city teams.