Champions of Kazakhstan sack coach

FC Zhenis Astana have sacked head coach Vladimir Derkach and accepted the resignation of chairman Grigory Loriya several days before their UEFA Champions League first qualifying round tie against Moldovan outfit FC Sheriff Tiraspol on 17 July.

Touchline ban
Last season, both Derkach and Loriya attacked referee Bagdad Tuseyev on the pitch during a Superliga match. Following the incident, the pair were handed a touchline ban until the end of the season and a fine by the Football Union of Kazakhstan (FSK).

Resignation accepted
After several other incidents, FSK president Rahat Aliyev has publicly refused to have any contact with Loriya and asked the club's board to appoint a separate official to maintain contacts with the national association. However, the board has now accepted Loriya's resignation.

Unsatisfactory results
Meanwhile, the club has decided to fire Derkach because of the team's unsatisfactory results in the first half of the season, vice-president Talgat Dzhantemirov told uefa.com. Zhenis are currently third in the Superliga, seven points behind leaders FC Atyrau.

New coach
Vladimir Fomichev, who led the Kazakhstan Under-19 team into the Asian Youth Championship semi-finals in 1998 and guided them to the FIFA World Youth Championships in 1999 in Nigeria, has been appointed as the club's new coach.