Spartak Moscow's ex-Valencia coach Unai Emery is much like the team's old boss Valery Karpin, Spartak's Argentinian defender Nicolas Pareja has told R-Sport.
With Karpin in charge, Spartak came a distant second to Zenit St. Petersburg last season, before Karpin moved upstairs to becom the club's general director as his former Real Sociedad teammate Emery joined the club.
Karpin won three Russian titles with Spartak in the 1990s before spending 11 seasons in Spain, something which Pareja said gave him extra insight into the game.
"I don't like to compare because they both are different coaches, both very good ones, but in different ways because they are different people," Pareja said Friday.
"I don't think that Valery is different because he is Russian, he played eleven years in Spain, almost all his career, so in the way of style he is like the same."
"They way, that he works, is like in Spain - fast training and intensive work."
Karpin is Spartak's "icon", Pareja added.
"Valery did a lot for the club as a coach and as a manager, the supporters love him because he played for Spartak and also was one of the most important players in Russia."
Pareja, 28, switched to Spartak in 2010 after two years in Espanyol and has played 39 times for the Moscow club since, although he has been hampered by injury.
He was the part of the Argentina team that won Olympic gold at the 2008 Games in Beijing, and has one full cap.
Spartak face Terek Grozny away later today.
