Baltika's Director: Spartak Did Not Inquire About Talaev

Ravil Ismailov, general director of Russian Premier League club Baltika, has stated that Spartak did not make any inquiries about signing head coach Andrey Talaev during the past season. When asked whether Talaev could have moved to a bigger club as a career advancement, Ismailov disputed the premise, noting that Spartak finished fourth in the league with 52 points while Baltika achieved sixth place with 46 points—a historic best result for the Kaliningrad club. Ismailov emphasized that despite Spartak's stronger infrastructure and richer traditions, the financial disparity between the clubs makes such a move questionable as a true promotion. He also confirmed that neither Spartak nor CSKA made formal inquiries about Talaev's availability. Talaev has headed Baltika since September 2024, leading the team's rise to the Russian Premier League and their sixth-place finish in the 2025/26 season. Spartak, meanwhile, recently appointed Spanish coach Jose Carcedo as their head coach following Dejan Stankovic's dismissal in November, with Carcedo's contract running through summer 2028.