Valery Gladilin, the former coach of Moscow Spartak, gave a lengthy assessment in an interview, saying that after the 0:2 home defeat to Fakel in the 20th round of the Russian Premier League, the club’s leadership must shoulder responsibility alongside the current head coach, Guillermo Abascal. Gladilin stresses that the coach cannot bear all of the team’s problems alone and that leadership should be accountable for the decision to appoint Abascal, who is still early in his managerial career.
According to Gladilin, Abascal has not shown development as a coach and the team has not progressed under his guidance. He argues that Spartak should consider ending Abascal’s tenure, while emphasizing that the club’s executives who recruited him must answer for the current results. The veteran coach notes that Abascal is a young, talented individual with a bright future, and at 33 years old he still has time to solve major sporting challenges. The message is clear: the responsibility does not rest solely on the coach, but also with those who signed the contract and brought him to the club.
Following the most recent round, Fakel sits with 25 points, holding 11th place in the league standings. Spartak, meanwhile, has 31 points and sits in sixth position. The upcoming match for Abascal’s squad is a home game against Ural.
In the latest league developments, Zenit rose to first place after defeating Ural, gathering 40 points. Krasnodar trails by one point, while Dinamo occupies a share of the top three on 38 points. The discussion around Spartak has included guidance about not looking abroad for the next coach, with emphasis placed on evaluating the domestic coaching options and the existing structure within the club.
These comments reflect a broader debate about how much responsibility belongs to a manager versus the executives who recruit and empower him. The situation underscores the pressure on the club to balance immediate results with long-term development, especially given Abascal’s age and potential. The next phase for Spartak will test whether leadership changes or renewed support for the current coach can translate into a clearer path to top-tier performance in the Russian Premier League, and whether the team can bridge the gap to the league’s leading clubs.