CSKA appoint Gazzaev as new coach

Valeri Gazzaev has been appointed the new coach of Russian club CSKA Moscow following the recent departure of Pavel Sadyrin.

Ill health
Gazzaev replaces previous incumbent Sadyrin, who resigned due to ill health in October with only four games left in the season, leaving his assistant Alexander Kuznetsov in charge. Now that the season is over, Kuznetsov will move back to his more familiar role of assistant, with Gazzaev named the new coach during a meeting at the club on Saturday.

Three successive wins
Gazzaev has been working with the Russian Under-21 side and took over when the team had little chance of qualifying for the UEFA European U-21 Championship play-offs. The Russian youngsters won three games in succession under Gazzaev's stewardship but narrowly missed out on the play-offs after being held to a 3-3 draw against Switzerland on 6 October.

Former international
Gazzaev, a former Russian international, won a bronze medal in the 1980 Olympic Games and won the European U-21 Championship twice, in 1976 and 1980. His coaching career began at Dinamo Moscow, where he was in charge from 1991 to 1993, and again between 2000 to 2001. He left in April this year, taking over the national U-21 side in May. His CV also includes a spell at FC Alania Vladikavkaz, a team he guided to their first Russian Premier League title in 1995.