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Naumov shocked by Lokomotiv sacking

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Belarussian first division side Lokomotiv-96 Vitebsk have fired coach Viktor Naumov.

With a little over two weeks to go before the 2002 Belarussian first division season gets under way, Lokomotiv-96 Vitebsk have sacked coach Viktor Naumov.

Coach disappointed
Naumov was shocked by the announcement. "I just cannot understand why I have been fired," he said. "It's very disappointing after I have spent time coaching the team during pre-season."

Involved in talks
Mihail Efimov, the Lokomotiv president, is currently in hospital and was unavailable for comment, but technical director Igor Lobanov said: "We have been in talks about the future of the club but it would be unethical for us to reveal the nature of our findings."

Interim appointment
The 37-year-old Naumov took over in 2001, a season in which the club finished third from bottom and narrowly avoided relegation. Viktor Tributsyn, who coached Lokomotiv for five seasons in the 1990s, will take over on a temporary basis while the club search for a full-time coach.

Financial crisis
Meanwhile, a number of the club's players have refused to sign new contracts, citing the poor financial state of the club as their chief reason for not doing so. Lokomotiv had hoped to travel to a pre-season training camp but a lack of money forced them to stay in Vitebsk. The season begins on 12 April.

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