Andrei Tikhonov, a former Spartak player, commented on Quincy Promes, the red-white striker who is eyeing the first quarter-final clash of the Russian Cup against Lokomotiv with a scoreline of 1:0. Tikhonov suggested that Promes has not yet reached his peak form for the season.
“Since Promes returned to the lineup, Spartak has become less of a two-way threat because he has not been deployed as a traditional center forward. Promes and Martins both need time to find their rhythm for the new campaign, and Promes’ spatial awareness on the pitch seems a touch off,” explained Tikhonov, reflecting on the team’s evolution during the early phase of the season.
During the winter break in the Russian Premier League, Spartak’s main squad opted not to join foreign training camps. Promes trained on his own and with a youth squad in Moscow, focusing on personal conditioning and cohesion with younger teammates as the club prepared for the second half of the season.
There were media reports that Promes did not participate in international training camps with Spartak out of concern for possible extradition to the Netherlands. The striker returns home to a complex legal situation, with a high-profile case involving an attempted murder charge circulating in the press. Additionally, unverified rumors suggested an unusual financial transaction involving a drug dealer connected to the loss of a large drug shipment. Officials have not confirmed these details, and careful verification is required before drawing conclusions.
Among other transfer chatter, former CSKA Moscow defender Willian Rocha, who is Brazilian, responded to speculation about a potential move away from his current club, including possible interest from teams in Turkey. Rocha’s comments added another layer to the ongoing market talk surrounding prominent players in the league.