Vladislav Radimov, the former captain of Zenit, suggested that Spartak’s head coach Guillermo Abascal would stop in St. Petersburg before the upcoming clash in the 19th round of the Russian Premier League. He admitted that his own decision to travel from St. Petersburg to Moscow was a misstep. The remarks were shared in a quote attributed to Match TV.
“I’ve never seen anything like this. Now all Spartak players can tell Abascal: maybe you would rather stay on base, and we will play evenly? I am bewildered by this behavior. Even if you are suspended, you should stay with the team before and after the game. You need to be with the squad in moments of pain and moments of joy”, Radimov said.
On March 2, Spartak played Zenit to a 0-0 draw, with the match being broadcast in an online format that captured the dialogue in real time.
Abascal traveled to St. Petersburg ahead of the match to observe the Red-Whites at their home venue in Moscow. He then departed Petersburg. Because of a disqualification, he could not remove the red and white team from the touchline.
In the Russian Championship standings, Spartak sits in fourth place with 31 points, while Zenit occupies second with 37 points. Sergei Semak’s squad trails the leader Krasnodar by two points and remains in the chase for top honors as the season advances.
Abascal’s squad is preparing for a round in which Fakel Voronezh awaits on March 10, followed by a March 9 encounter with Ural Yekaterinburg. The tension surrounding the team’s leadership and on-field decisions continues to shape conversations about the club’s strategy and cohesion as the campaign unfolds.
Previously, Guberniev referred to Abascal in a notable broadcast remark, continuing the ongoing public dialogue surrounding the coach and his approach to managing Spartak during a competitive period in Russian football.