Email
Print
Digg This
MOSCOW, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Former Denmark international Michael Laudrup has signed a 18-month contract to coach Spartak Moscow, the Russian premier league club said on Friday.
"I received a very serious offer from a big club," Laudrup, 44, was quoted as saying by Spartak's website (www.spartak.com).
He succeeds caretaker coach Igor Ledyakhov, who replaced Stanislav Cherchesov last month after he was sacked following Spartak's 8-2 aggregate defeat by Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League third qualifying round.
Laudrup, who played for Real Madrid and Barcelona in the 1990s, most recently managed Spanish Premier League team Getafe, who reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup last season.
Spartak, Russia's most successful and popular club with nine league titles since 1992, have been in disarray in recent years. They have only won one Russian Cup since 2001.
Spartak are fifth in the league, nine points behind leaders Rubin Kazan.
Laudrup said his task was to lead Spartak to the Champions League next season.
"We still have 10 league matches left in the season and we'll aim to finish in the top two to qualify for the Champions League," he told reporters. "We also have the UEFA Cup this year and we'll try to get good results there as well."
