Former Spartak coach Raul Riancho has clarified that returning to the Moscow club is not on the cards at the moment, citing his commitments elsewhere. In a statement quoted by Match TV, he explained that his schedule is filled with responsibilities that prevent a comeback to Spartak in the near future. The veteran football administrator underscored that his focus currently lies with other professional duties beyond the club he once served with a blend of patience and ambition.
Asked whether a hypothetical replacement for Abaskal could tempt him to step back into Spartak’s fold, Riancho was candid. He said he could not consider the role at present because his calendar is already full with his duties as general director of the municipal sports institute in Santander. That role requires ongoing oversight of community sports programs, infrastructure development, and youth engagement initiatives that demand his full attention. It is a position that he described as central to his broader mission in sports administration, beyond the pressures of a single club season.
Riancho’s connection with Spartak Moscow stretches back to 2018, when he joined as an assistant to Massimo Carrera. The Italian manager’s departure on October 22, 2018, created a temporary opportunity for Riancho to take the helm as interim head coach. During that spell, he managed six competitive matches, guiding the team through a transition period with a view toward stabilizing results while the club pursued a longer-term strategic plan. His tenure ended in November of the same year after the club appointed Oleg Kononov to the head coaching position, signaling a shift in leadership as Spartak charted a new course.
On the field, Spartak’s October fixtures proved challenging. A 0-3 defeat to Dynamo in the Russian Cup, with goals from Fomin, Bitello, and Zazvonkin, underscored the difficulties the squad faced in knockout competition. Nevertheless, the team secured a place in the playoff rounds, a reminder that the season’s narrative remained broader than a single match and that Spartak still held prospects for progression in both domestic cup competition and the league, depending on how they iterated their approach in subsequent fixtures.
Earlier in October, Spartak also endured a 0-4 loss to Krylya Sovetov Samara in the Russian Championship. That result reflected the volatility of form within the squad and highlighted the need for strategic adjustments, tactical recalibration, and perhaps roster considerations as the club navigated the early phase of the campaign. Such results often spark conversations among supporters and analysts about leadership, coaching philosophy, and the alignment between the club’s ambitions and the players’ performances, a dynamic that Riancho had observed from the outside during his tenure away from the bench.
A former Spartak sports director offered a pointed assessment of Abaskal’s handling of the squad, suggesting that the current manager might not fully grasp the complexities of guiding a club of Spartak’s stature. While such comments reflect the high-stakes nature of top-tier football in Russia, they also illustrate the ongoing conversation about managerial fit, club culture, and the pace at which a team must respond to adversity. In this environment, Riancho’s own experiences—balancing interim leadership with a broader administrative portfolio—provide a useful case study for how coaches and executives interpret the demands of high-level competition while keeping long-term development in view.