Sports
AS Roma's coach Luciano Spalletti
Spalletti becomes Zenit’s new manager
Published 29 October, 2009, 19:14
Former Roma boss Luciano Spalletti will be introduced as the new manager of Russian Premier League side Zenit Saint Petersburg after the end of the season in November, Italian Gazzetta dello Sport reports.
According to the paper, Spalletti put his signature under the contract as early as October 1. The Italian will be paid €4 million per year in a two year deal, which may then be prolonged for another season by mutual consent.
There is also a clause in the contract that allows the coach to leave Zenit if the club fails to make it in into the UEFA Champions League.
It is planned that Spalletti will be introduced to the public in November. Zenit’s press service didn’t confirm or decline the information.
“After Spalletti visited Saint Petersburg, there have been no new talks with him,” Aleksey Petrov, head of the club’s press service, told Sportbox.ru. “That’s all I can tell,” he added.
Luciano Spalletti made a name for himself working in the Italian Serie A. He was the coach of such big clubs like Sampdoria, Udineze and Roma. He was named the Italian manager of the year in 2006, and set the record for 11 consecutive wins in Serie A.
Unfortunately, the only silverware he has won so far is the Italian Cup, which he won with Roma in 2007.
After Dutch coach Dick Advocaat was fired from Zenit in August, St. Petersburg resident Anatoly Davydov took charge of the team, who currently now sit third in the table, nine points away from leaders Rubin Kazan.
