The former president of Moscow Spartak, Andrei Chervichenko, voiced strong criticism of the team’s head coach after Guillermo Abascal was dismissed in the 17th round of the Russian Premier League match against Akhmat Grozny. He expressed his views to Soviet Sport.
Chervichenko described Abascal’s action as immature. He acknowledged that the Spaniard is in his thirties, yet suggested that the incident hinted at a lingering immaturity. He pointed to what he perceived as a nervous breakdown of sorts that appeared to surface during and after the game.
He noted observable behavior that raised questions about Abascal’s state of mind, mentioning the forward’s sudden sprint toward the locker room following the final whistle and an incident involving a bottle during the match. The comment implied that Abascal’s actions were excessive: once he was sent off, the impulse to grab the bottle seemed misguided. The coach could have walked away quietly after giving his best effort, but the sequence of events, in the opinion of Chervichenko, suggested a restless temperament taking over in the moment.
Chervichenko added that once a player is sent off or visibly distressed, a calmer approach is sometimes the wiser course. Rather than escalating matters on the field, he implied that a restrained exit would have been more appropriate and less damaging to the team’s standing. The suggestion was to prioritize composure and rest after a tense match, labeling the episode as a restless moment that did not reflect well on the player or the club.
During the game, Akhmat’s Bernard Berisha challenged Abascal by jumping toward him with both feet, prompting a physical reaction from the Spaniard who pushed back. The match official, referee Evgeniy Kukulyak, showed Abascal a yellow card, and the Spartak coach was subsequently sent off. Regulations indicate that the midfielder should have also faced red card discipline for occupying space on the opponent’s bench area, a detail noted in the surrounding commentary.
In the end, Akhmat Grozny clinched a 2-1 victory, with goals from Hamid Agalarov and Svetoslav Kovachev providing the winning margin, while Anton Zinkovsky replied for Spartak.
Both veterans and long-time supporters of Spartak have reflected on the emotional strain surrounding this period for the club, with concerns about how leadership and player conduct influence team morale and public perception.