Karpin resigns as Spartak manager

Valery Karpin has resigned as coach of Spartak Moscow after the club’s poorest ever start to a season, the Russian club announced on Monday.

Traditionally one of the Russian Premier League’s most powerful clubs, Spartak have not won a major trophy since 2003 and bowed out of the Europa League quarter-finals 10-3 on aggregate to Porto on Thursday.

Spartak then fell 2-1 to Anzhi Makhachkala on Sunday – their third defeat in five league matches this season – to plummet to the bottom of the Premier League table.

In an announcement the day after the club’s latest defeat, former Russia midfielder Karpin revealed he would be stepping down as Spartak manager but would remain as the club’s general director.

“Today the board of directors had accepted my resignation,” said Karpin, who has been in the role since April 2009.

“In the current situation I was ready to quit my other job as the club’s general director but the board did not discuss such a scenario.”

Spartak take on Krasnodar in the Russian Cup on Wednesday, with Karpin’s replacement yet to be announced.