Valery Masalitin, a former CSKA Moscow player, weighed in on the appointment of Tomas Amaral as Spartak Moscow’s head coach and pointed to a clear strategic aim. He noted that the club appears to be steering toward a Euro-centric development path, one that envisions integrating European talents into its squad. Yet Masalitin emphasized a crucial counterbalance: to truly fortify the team with foreign players, Spartak will need to build a deep understanding of the South American market, where many players with high potential and fresh perspectives come from.
Amaral, unlike some predecessors, arrived without a background as a sports director. His most recent role before joining Spartak was as a scout for Benfica in Lisbon, where his scouting work reportedly helped the club identify promising players from across Europe and beyond. Under the leadership of Abascal, Spartak posted 30 points from 18 matches in the first half of the Russian Premier League season, a performance that placed them just behind Krasnodar, who trailed by eight points, and kept them in the race for the national title. The team also held a strong position in the Russian Cup, moving through the group stages with Krasnodar and Dinamo Moscow close behind in the standings.
In discussions surrounding the club, veterans and insiders have described Amaral as a caretaker figure who brings a pragmatic approach rather than a long-term blueprint. The club’s new direction signals a broader strategy to rebuild the squad with a mix of local talent and foreign players, leveraging Amaral’s scouting background while aligning with Spartak’s ambition to regain national prominence and to compete more effectively in European competitions.