Spartak to part with Titov, Kalynychenko

FC Spartak Moskva midfielders Yegor Titov and Maxym Kalynychenko have been told they can leave the club after a meeting with coach Stanislav Cherchesov on Tuesday.

'Fresh challenge'
The long-serving pair held talks with Cherchesov following their omission from the first team in the wake of Spartak's 5-1 home defeat by PFC CSKA Moskva on 12 July. It is thought the coach told them they no longer featured in his plans and that he had no right to keep them on the bench indefinitely. "Titov and Kalynychenko want to play football so they will probably be looking for new clubs. They need a fresh challenge," said Cherchesov.

Stalwarts
Spartak's website also thanked the duo for their service, saying the club "would be happy to have them both working back at Spartak some day". Titov, 32, is a fans' favourite having emerged from the academy to play 324 Premier-Liga games for the Red and Whites, winning six Russian championships. The playmaker's star status has been enhanced by 41 Russia caps. Ukrainian international Kalynychenko, 29, has also made a sizeable contribution to Spartak's success, landing two titles since joining from FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in 2000.

Dropped
Titov and Kalynychenko were dropped, along with team-mate Mozart, after Spartak's humbling by neighbours CSKA. Cherchesov suggested at the time that the experienced trio had failed in their "responsibility to keep team spirit at the required level". That result followed a 3-1 loss at FC Terek Grozny and left Spartak without a win against a fellow title contender all season – although they remain fifth in the table, only five points behind leaders FC Rubin Kazan. The side then needed a last-minute goal to draw at FC Lokomotiv Moskva, before last Sunday's 3-0 home victory over FC Luch-Energia Vladivostok was marred by stay-away fans reducing the attendance to a mere 5,000. Mozart was restored to the lineup for the Luch-Energia game.

'Don't worry'
With Spartak entering the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round in two weeks' time as 2007 Premier-Liga runners-up, Cherchesov has told supporters "not to worry". The club's owner, Leonid Fedun, also issued a vote of confidence in his trainer, who has a contract until 2010, saying: "I trust Stanislav and his ability."