Franco Camozzi, once an adviser linked to Spartak’s former owner Leonid Fedun, questions the authority exercised by Guillermo Abascal, who played a key role in shaping the club’s transfer policy. Camozzi’s assessment hints at a broader concern about how transfer decisions were managed and who held decision-making power within the squad-building process.
Camozzi suggested that it might be unproductive to focus on Abascal as an individual. The real question, in his view, is whether the club chose to empower a single executive to oversee all transfer activity without the oversight of a sporting director. If that centralization of responsibility occurred, he regards it as a misstep that could undermine the club’s long-term strategy.
In Camozzi’s estimation, Abascal may not have possessed the credibility or track record typically expected to lead a top team like Spartak at the outset. He noted that Abascal lacked prior experience with very large clubs, which Camozzi believes is a crucial factor when directing a club of Spartak’s stature.
Abascal assumed leadership of Spartak ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, bringing a background that spans work with Volos in Greece and Basel in Switzerland. Over the course of that season, his contract was extended and the terms were adjusted to reflect his role, including a salary adjustment. Under his stewardship, Spartak secured third place in the Russian Premier League, signaling a competitive performance that year.
In the sixth round of the Russian Premier League, Spartak played to a 0-0 draw with Akhmat, marking the third consecutive match in which the club did not secure a victory. The result added pressure and intensified discussions about leadership and strategy behind the scenes.
A former Spartak executive later described a sense of dissatisfaction within the team linked to the way Abascal’s approach impacted the squad. Those reflections highlight the tension that can arise when leadership perceived decisions differently by some members of the organization, and when the balance between policy and performance is under review.
Overall, the episode underscores the delicate balance clubs must strike between hiring choices, transfer policy control, and the responsibility that comes with steering a storied club through competitive leagues. As Spartak continues to assess its internal structure, observers watch closely to see how the club will align its leadership, development of players, and recruitment strategy with its goals for domestic success and European relevance.