Former Fakel coach Dmitry Pyatibratov responded to Leonid Slutsky’s assertion that the Voronezh club’s top choices are made by its leadership while the coach simply runs training sessions. Pyatibratov rejected the claim, insisting that the head coach holds the decisive influence over the starting lineup. He explained that the sports committee assists in player evaluation, but the final call rests with him. He challenged anyone who believes the leadership dictates the lineup to confront him directly, saying he would find such a claim laughable. If that were true, he noted, there would be no need for a coach at all, as quoted by the expert source Sports24.
The 46-year-old Pyatibratov was appointed head coach of Fakel on September 18, 2022. His departure was announced on April 30 following a mutual agreement to terminate the contract.
At the time of these developments, Fakel sat 14th in the Russian Premier League standings with 21 points after 25 rounds. The team’s next fixture was scheduled to be an away match against Rostov.
Earlier reports had indicated that Fakel would be led by a different figure, Vadim Evseev, marking a notable shift in the club’s coaching setup. The public statements from Slutsky and the subsequent response from Pyatibratov added tension to the ongoing discourse about decision-making processes within the club and how coaching personnel are involved in squad selection, a topic that has drawn significant attention from fans and analysts alike (Sports24).