Former Spartak Moscow captain Yegor Titov spoke about which red-white players left him disappointed in 2023, sharing his thoughts with Championship.
At the start of the season, Theo Bongonda showed promise, delivering goals and assists in a few early games, and fans held their breath, hoping for a breakout. But soon Bongonda’s form dipped and his temperament flared, surprising many who had pegged him as a key contributor. Then there was Oleg Ryabchuk, a player who first appeared on the pitch and then seemed to retreat, rarely pressing for a real chance to prove himself. Tavares arrived after a serious injury opened a door to Spartak, with a quick transfer that fans initially welcomed. Yet Titov argues that this is not the classic Spartak footballer, hinting at a mismatch between expectations and what the squad needed from its Montenegrin-born forward.
When Titov was asked to pick the disappointment of the year and the worst transfer of the season, his choice came with little hesitation. Bongonda and Ryabchuk were the names that immediately came to mind, reflecting a sense of lost momentum for the squad as the season unfolded.
Bongonda, who joined Spartak from Cadiz in July 2023 for seven million euros, appeared in twenty-two league games in Moscow. He contributed five goals and one assist, a tally that suggested potential that did not fully materialize across the campaign. His initial impact raised expectations, but in the months that followed, the momentum waned and confidence seemed to waver, casting a shadow over a signing that had promised so much.
Ryabchuk arrived from Olympiacos in Greece for six million euros in August and went on to feature in sixteen matches for Spartak, adding one assist to the ledger. The midfield shift failed to yield the decisive influence Spartak needed, and Titov’s critique underscored the sense that the club had paid a premium for a contributor who did not consistently meet the team’s demands.
In the league itself, Spartak secured a 3-0 victory over Krylia Sovetov Samara in the eighteenth round, lifting Guillermo Abascal’s team to thirty points and into fifth place on the table. The win offered relief for a squad navigating a volatile season, but Titov’s reflections highlighted larger questions about recruitment and squad balance during his comments to Championship.
Looking back, the narrative centers on two players who arrived with high expectations and found themselves under the spotlight for not living up to those hopes. Titov’s assessment may be seen as a candid reminder that transfers carry risk and that a club must blend promise with proven consistency if it aims to climb the standings.
Historically, both Bongonda and Ryabchuk were labeled among the standout performers during earlier stretches of the championship, prompting optimism among fans and analysts. Titov’s remarks cut through that optimism, framing the year as a lesson in realism for Spartak and a prompt to reassess how new signings align with the squad’s identity.
As the season progressed, the tension between expectation and performance became a central theme for Spartak. The early hope sparked by Bongonda’s surges and the midseason reintegration of Tavares, followed by a decline in form, painted a picture of a club in transition. Titov’s perspective, shared with a major sports publication, adds another layer to the dialogue surrounding what the team needs to restore its competitive edge.
Fans and pundits will likely revisit these assessments as the club plans its next moves in the transfer market. The period under review serves as a case study in how signings can quickly swing from promising to contentious, and how leadership decisions shape a club’s trajectory.
In the end, Titov’s candid appraisal underscores a simple truth about football: every season brings surprises, and not all signings pay off immediately. The challenge for Spartak will be to translate the lessons of this year into a stronger, more cohesive campaign in the future, ensuring that the next wave of recruits aligns with the team’s core ethos and ambitions.