Valery Karpin will take charge of Spartak Moscow for next week’s Champions League match with Celtic.
Karpin was in charge of Spartak before the appointment of Unai Emery who was sacked following Sunday’s 5-1 hammering from Dinamo Moscow and was responsible for the signing of Aiden McGeady in 2010.
Announcing the move Spartak spokesman Alexei Matveyev said: “Karpin has been appointed Spartak’s caretaker coach until the end of the year”.
Karpin’s first match in charge is at home to Zenit St Petersburg on Friday with securing a European place for next season the target.
As a player Karpin spent a lot of his career in Spain with Valencia, Real Sociedad and Celta Vigo before returning to Spartak to become director of football at Spartak where he sacked Michael Laudrup to appoint himself as coach.
For three years he combined both jobs before appoining Emery but after six months in charge the Spaniard has been dismissed.
Spartak as currently sitting in seventh place in the league table but are only ten points adrift of leaders CSKA Moscow.
Following the Champions League clash with Celtic Spartak face a trip to fourth placed Rubin Kazan.
Karpin will be keen to have McGeady back in action but the former Celtic midfielder looks like missing out on a return trip to the club where he made his reputation.
McGeady hasn’t played for Spartak since October 6 due to an injury picked up playing for Ireland in the 4-1 win over the Faroe Isles.
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