Dismissed: Spartak fired Zorn from the post of General Director

Thomas Zorn left the post of General Director of the Moscow Spartak. This was reported in the press service of the ten-time champion of Russia, noting that the corresponding decision was made by the board of directors.

“The club thanks Thomas for the work done and wishes him success in his future career. Currently, Spartak Moscow Football Club is considering several candidates for the position of CEO. The decision on the appointment will be made in the coming days, ”the statement said on the official website.

Rumors about the possible departure of Zorn appeared the day before. At the same time, it was said that Thomas could be transferred from the post of CEO to the post of sports. However, in the end, it was decided to stop cooperation with the functionary.

At the moment, Zorn himself did not comment on his departure from Spartak. As for possible candidates for his replacement, a number of names are already appearing in the press. So, one of the main contenders is the former vice-president of the French “Monaco” Vadim Vasiliev and the current general director of “Ufa” Shamil Gazizov. However, so far this information has not been confirmed.

“I do not know anything about this. I’m going to the airport now, I’ll fly to Rostov soon. I did not see any news. Am I called a candidate for the post of sports director of Spartak? So what? I don’t know anything, I’m getting ready for the match with Rostov, Sport-Express quotes Gazizova.

At the same time, in Ufa itself they confirmed that they were ready to let Gazizov go if he received a substantial offer.

“Our team doesn’t“ cut wings ”to anyone, including the CEO. If one of our employees ever has a logical and correct option to pursue a career, we will not interfere. Especially when it comes to the man who has done so much for the club, made him the most successful in Russia. I emphasize what I say in the subjunctive mood. Speaking specifically, no one has yet addressed the head of the republic. Although, this is his level. Until this happens, it is pointless to discuss something. We are disciplined people, we work for the benefit of Bashkiria. We will consider the proposal when we understand that we are not doing anything bad for our native region, ”said Rostislav Murzagulov, head of the board of trustees of Ufa.

It is worth noting that the decision to dismiss Zorn may seem very strange for the sports community. Especially in light of the fact that before the end of the Russian championship there are four more rounds left, and the red and white continue to fight for getting into the Europa League. Moreover, they can accomplish this task either by winning the Russian Cup, or by taking sixth place in the RPL standings. True, in the latter case, they need to hope that the national trophy will go to Zenit.

Yes, many may consider that solving such problems does not meet the ambitions of such a great club as Spartak. But after the current disastrous start of the season, one could hardly count on something more serious. It’s enough to recall that after 12 rounds the red-white ones took the 12th place in the standings and had five losses in a row in a liability. They suffered four of them under the leadership of a former mentor Oleg Kononov, who, after a failure with Orenburg, resigned.

At the same time, the reason for the collective’s failures was in many respects the fact that by this moment Spartak had already actively entered the perestroika phase. A number of leaders left the team, including defender Salvatore Bocchetti, midfielders Fernando and Denis Glushakov, as well as forwards Luis Adriano and Zé Luis. At the same time, they were replaced by significantly less experienced young football players, who were to become a serious asset in the future. We are talking about midfielders Alex Krahl and Gus Thiel, as well as strikers Esekiel Ponce and Jordan Larsson.

Since joining the club in May 2019, Zorn has repeatedly noticed in his interviews that this season Spartak’s leadership does not focus on the result, but is trying to create favorable conditions for the development of the team in the future. Thus, he removed the burden of responsibility not only from young players, but also from not the most experienced mentor in the person of Domenico Tedesco.

“We have an official task - the restructuring of the team. It was put back in the summer, discussed on the board of directors. Tired of talking about her, and the fans are tired of reading about her. We’ll start looking at the table next season. In the current, it is important that the team is formed, so that the guys understand each other on the field and develop, ”Zorn said in a February 2020 interview with Sport Express.

These words of Zorn are slightly different from what he said in September 2019. After eight rounds, “Spartak” was in the lead and only three points behind “Zenith”, “Krasnodar” and “Rostov”, and a defeat with a minimum score in a derby with blue-white-blue did not overshadow the mood of Thomas.

“I think our goal is to get into the group stage of the Champions League with this roster at the end of the season. This is a priority, ”said Zorn in September.

Perhaps it is precisely such optimistic statements that have become a problem for the former CEO. The leadership of the red and white could well remember these words of Zorn and expect him to solve the highest problems. But with each match, the situation of Spartak deteriorated more and more, and the acquired players did not live up to either the hopes or the money spent on them. Ponce did not show himself on the best side, the experienced Schurrle choked on him, and the brand of one of the main transfer failures of recent years was hanged on Tila.

“The main reason is that there is no result. Zorn brought Tedesco - he is his creature. The arrival of several players is also his decision. This is normal, but in the end, the result should be, but it is not. As a result, the CEO or head coach is to blame. Another thing is that this happened very quickly. Some hold for a very long time, but here, apparently, they did not wait, ”the Championship quotes the legendary midfielder Spartak and Celta Alexander Mostovoy.

Undoubtedly, the dissatisfaction with the performance of the red and white in the current championship can be understood, but blaming the Director General exclusively for this is at least wrong. He does not lead the team, does not participate in training, therefore, is not responsible for their performances on the field. As for personnel failures, not only Zorn can be to blame for them. If we consider the invitations of Schurrle and Thiel as the two main failures of Spartak in the transfer market, then Thomas is only responsible for one of them.

“The initiator of the Schürrle acquisition was Zorn ... Here, the purchase of Teal was just my initiative. We watched the dozens for a long time. There were several options: Romanian Haji, others. I liked Teal with two of his qualities. Firstly, at such a young age he became the captain of one of the leading teams in Holland. Secondly, this is a fighter, not a clean “ten,” Fedun explained his decision.

As for the acquisition of Alexander Sobolev through the winter transfer window, it can be called successful. The club has at its disposal a talented striker who has great potential and is already benefiting. Yes, so far his statistics are not outstanding and amount to one goal and three assists in eight games, but the ex-striker of Krylia Sovetov is now the most important element in Tedesco’s attacking game.

Of course, serious compensation can be caused by the amount of compensation for the transfer of Sobolev. Perhaps some felt that € 4.5 million was too much for the striker, who at that time had never scored for Spartak. But we must understand that in the winter a number of teams claimed for Alexander and to miss such a promising player would not be the most far-sighted decision.

“Zorn's dismissal is shocking news! What is he to blame ?! I met him three or four times, and he made a good impression on me. In any case, the opinion was created that he came to a new team and wanted to help him. I can’t even imagine what could happen. Moreover, there was a pause for a pandemic, there wasn’t much work, ”said Yuri Gavrilov, a Spartak veteran.

The main question is what awaits Spartak after Zorn's departure. In particular, this applies to head coach Domenico Tedesco. The German specialist was considered the personal creature of the former CEO, and in the current conditions, his position can be noticeably weakened. Rumors have already appeared that he may resign at the end of the season.

At the same time, joining Gazizov’s team seems promising and could be a serious step towards overcoming the crisis. In recent years, Ufa has become one of the most stable RPL teams and regularly makes money on player sales. Among its “graduates”, Andrei Lunev and Daniil Krugovoy (Zenit), Ivan Oblyakov and Igor Diveev (CSKA), Dmitry Zhivoglyadov (Lokomotiv) can be noted. And the loudest "exit" transfer is still Alexander Zinchenko, who currently defends the colors of Manchester City.

Speaking of Vasiliev, at the moment his appointment is considered less likely. But the arrival of a specialist of this caliber cannot but benefit Spartak. Vadim worked at Monaco from March 2013 to February 2019 and helped turn the Monegasques into one of the main exporting clubs in Europe. It was from him that the top teams of the Old World were followed by Kilian Mbappe, James Rodriguez, Tom Lemar, Anthony Martial, Benjamin Mendi, Bernardo Silva and many others. It is enough to note that during this period the team generated € 828.02 million in transfers, spending € 623.16 million.