Valery Ovchinnikov, the Russian coach, weighed in on Spartak’s setback against Fakel in the Russian Championship, suggesting that Guillermo Abascal, a Spanish expert, could not steer the red-and-whites to success. Ovchinnikov’s remarks were captured under the banner of a post-match analysis of the Championship.
When asked for his take on the game, Ovchinnikov declined to overthink the outcome, urging Spartak to draw conclusions themselves. He pointed to leadership at the top, saying the person in charge needed to understand that, despite the talent and notoriety of a certain young, red-haired player who has enjoyed early success, he alone could not lift a club of Spartak’s stature. He reminded listeners that Fakel had claimed a 1-0 victory against Spartak twenty-three years earlier, and that the waiting period for a similar triumph had finally ended for Fakel this time around.
The match took place at the Central Trade Union Stadium in Voronezh, and Fakel emerged triumphant with a 2-0 scoreline.
In the 70th minute, Spartak’s Srdjan Babic picked up a second yellow card, earning a red card and leaving his team at a numerical disadvantage. Evgeny Markov, a forward for the Voronezh side, converted the ensuing penalty to open the scoring, and in the 84th minute Maxim Maximov extended Fakel’s lead with another goal.
Coverage of the game appeared in online broadcasts, presenting the action in real time for fans following the live events as they unfolded.
Following the result, Fakel climbed two spots in the table and sat eleventh with fifteen points, while Spartak remained in fourth place with twenty points. The standings reflected both the momentum gained by Fakel and the current position of Spartak in the league standings.
Earlier discussions at Spartak centered on Abascal’s future with the team in light of the defeat to Fakel, with players and staff weighing the path forward as the season progressed.