Valery Petrakov has been named as coach of Torpedo Moscow after Nikolai Savichev became the third Russian Premier League manager to leave his job this season.
"Today we were satisfied with the request by Nikolai Savichev to quit the club. The new head coach will be Valery Petrakov," the club said on its website on Tuesday.
Savichev had been in charge of the three-times champions since June after they were promoted back to the Premier League, but Torpedo has only picked up six points from 12 matches and are lying in the relegation zone.
They suffered a 1-0 loss to Arsenal Tula on Monday, and they crashed out of the Russian Cup to CSKA Moscow.
Petrakov played for Torpedo from 1981-85 before managing Tom Tomsk, FC Moscow, Rostov, Alaniya, Dynamo Bryansk and Khimki.
The 56-year-old's first match in charge will be at home to Lokomotiv Moscow on Saturday.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.