Sergey Yuran, who previously led Khimki near Moscow on multiple occasions, recently commented on the club’s current situation. During the winter transfer window, Khimki saw several core squad players depart at once, triggering concern about the team’s stability and competitive trajectory.
Yuran warned that if Khimki wants to remain in the Russian Premier League but opts to let key figures like Glushakov, Kukharchuk, and Tikhoy go, the club would be sabotaging its own efforts. He argued that such moves would push Khimki toward the lower end of the table, making a sustained stay in the top flight unlikely. The coach did not hide his confusion over who is making these decisions, noting that Kukharchuk seems puzzled by the situation as well. Yuran even suggested Khimki could face a fate similar to Olymp-Dolgoprudny, potentially leading to the team’s disappearance from the professional scene, a scenario he described with concern in quotations attributed to Sport Express.
Yuran has served Khimki in three separate stints as head coach. He stepped away from the club in August 2022, at a time when Khimki stood in seventh place in the standings. The club then saw a rapid succession of coaching changes, with Nikolai Pisarev briefly taking charge for three weeks, followed by Spartak Gogniev assuming the role in September. The turnover reflects a broader pattern at Khimki as the team navigates transitional periods and attempts to rebuild its competitive structure.
After 17 rounds of the Russian Premier League, Khimki sits near the bottom of the table. The club also suffered a disappointing exit from the Russian Cup, finishing last in its group, a result that has intensified scrutiny on management and squad planning. The situation has drawn attention from fans and analysts who are watching how the club will respond to the current challenges and whether strategic changes could stabilize results in the second half of the season.
In related commentary, Dmitry Gunko once noted that Zenit faced a different set of expectations during the title race, implying that the standards and pressures confronting top clubs can diverge from those affecting Khimki. His observations highlight the contrast between championship contenders and teams fighting to preserve top-tier status, underscoring the need for coherent long-term planning for Khimki as it reassesses its approach to recruitment, development, and coaching continuity.