CSKA declares coach's departure announcement
Fresh Take:
Rumors are swirling about CSKA and their head coach, Marco Nikolich, as a potential move to AEK is on the horizon, according to a statement from Kirill Breido, CSKA's director of communications. Reports from Greek Gazzetta and Serbian Mozzart Sport claim that Nikolich has struck a deal with AEK, with "Sport-Express" adding that the Serbian demanded the ousting of Deputy General Director for Sports Issues, Yevgeny Shevelev, from CSKA.
Breido shared that the club will not resort to tired excuses like "the coach has an active contract." He further stated that Nikolich enjoys a strong rapport with CSKA's top management and that any talk of ultimatums has never come up.
Former Zenit coach Mancini recently admitted a mistake in leaving the Italian national team, while Nikolich has had a successful stint with CSKA. Appointed in June 2024, Nikolich led the army men to victory in the Russian Cup this season. Previously, he coached "Lokomotiv" and won the Cup with the team.
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Extra Insights:- Nikolich's contract with CSKA was scheduled to end in the summer of 2026[4][5]. AEK is set to pay CSKA €600,000 as compensation for early termination[2][5].- Nikolich is expected to sign a two-year contract with AEK and will bring his coaching staff along[5]. CSKA Moscow is currently negotiating the buyout of his contract[4].
In light of the rumors, it seems that Coach Marco Nikolich could be leaving CSKA to join AEK, potentially shifting his focus from European-league football with CSKA to the same arena with AEK. This speculation comes at a time when Nikolich has been enjoying success in Russian-league sports, particularly in football, having led CSKA to a victory in the Russian Cup this season.
