Evgeniy Lovchev, once a standout for Spartak Moscow, offers a candid critique of the club’s decision to hire Tomas Amaral as the new sports director. He argues that Oleg Romantsev, a legendary architect of Spartak’s success who built titles over many years, should steer the club’s sports department. Lovchev frames loyalty to Spartak’s heritage as a reason to question bringing in a foreign figure for the role. His firm remarks reflect a broader debate about leadership, continuity, and how a storied club balances respect for its past with new directions in modern football.
Lovchev does not hold back when discussing Amaral and his predecessor. He uses blunt terms to convey a tension between inviting fresh expertise from abroad and honoring the club’s long line of champions. He openly wonders why Romantsev could not be brought back in some official capacity such as adviser, mentor, or sports director, so that foreign specialists would not become the default option. While acknowledging a complicated personal history with Romantsev, Lovchev credits him with sustained success, noting that Romantsev led Spartak to multiple championships and deserved consideration for top roles within the club. This stance mirrors a wider conversation about respecting a club’s heritage while embracing capable leadership from outside the organization.
On 22 December, Spartak announced Amaral would take the role of sports director, signaling a new chapter for the club. Amaral’s most recent post was with Benfica in Lisbon, where he primarily operated as a scout rather than in a senior sports-director capacity. The announcement stated that Amaral would begin his duties on 1 January 2024, marking a transition as Spartak aligned its strategic aims with a refreshed scouting and organizational approach. The move aimed to bring international scouting perspective to the club, while details of the leadership arrangement continued to be analyzed by analysts and supporters alike. Sources: Spartak Moscow press release.
Beyond personnel changes, Spartak’s campaign in the Russian Premier League has drawn attention. Under the guidance of Guillermo Abascal, the team had accumulated 30 points after 18 matchdays in the first half of the season, placing fifth in the standings. They trailed leaders Krasnodar by eight points and were six points behind the reigning champions, Zenit St. Petersburg. This snapshot from the autumn phase highlighted the club’s competitive position within a league that features strong squads and deep talent pools. In the Russian Cup and the league’s road to the knockouts, Spartak reached the late-stage playoffs, with Krasnodar first in the group and Dynamo Moscow following in third, painting a picture of a league where margins are slim and every fixture matters as the season unfolds. Sources: league statistics and Spartak briefings.
A separate voice in the discussion, Alexander Mostovoy, previously indicated that Amaral’s appointment did not hold much personal significance for him. His remark added another layer to the debate, showing that opinions within the football community ranged from strong endorsements to more reserved acceptance. The spectrum of viewpoints underscores how leadership choices at a historic club like Spartak can provoke a wide range of reactions, touching on tradition, strategy, and the evolving landscape of modern football governance. Sources: player commentary summaries.