MOSCOW, November 15 (R-Sport) – Krylya Sovetov Samara coach Andrei Kobelev has stepped down from his post after a miserable run of form, the Russian Premier League club announced Thursday.
Krylya extended a winless streak to seven matches with Sunday’s 2-0 away defeat to Rubin Kazan, and linger just three points above the relegation zone in 12th.
The club thanked the coach for rescuing the team from the drop last season; Kobelev took charge in July 2011 when Krylya were at the bottom of the table and led them to the safety of 12th place.
“Andrei Kobelev became the symbol of the long-awaited changes at the club, and took upon him the responsibility for the team’s fate,” Krylya’s website said.
“Unfortunately, the first half of the 2012-2013 season didn’t work out so well.”
One of the Kobelev’s assistants Alexander Tsygankov was appointed acting coach.
Kobelev is the fourth coaching casualty of the season and steps down a day after Valery Gazzaev replaced his son Vladimir as manager of relegation rivals Alania Vladikavkaz.
Kobelev, 44, started his coaching career in 2006 with Dynamo Moscow, taking the side to third place in 2008. But he was fired in April 2010 after a noted decline.
Krylya Sovetov are the only non-Moscow side never to have been relegated in all 21 seasons of the Russian top flight.
