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Unable to help the Russian national team secure a ticket to the 2006 World Cup final tournament, Russian national team coach Yuri Semin decided to step down from the position of head coach of the team a little over a month before the end of his contract.
Semin confirmed his decision not to coach the team anymore in a meeting with Russian Football Union president Vitaly Mutko, who thanked the departing coach for his efforts. Under Semin's leadership, the Russians played six qualifying matches and one friendly, during which they did not suffer any defeats. According to Mutko, the goalless draw with the Group 3 winners Portugal shows how strong the team remains with Semin's departure.
Semin came to work for the Russian national team in April of this year, after Georgy Yartsev resigned following a painful draw with Estonia. However, the arrival of the new coach did not help the Russians overtake Slovakia in the group - in the final deciding match, the Slovaks took second place in the group and earned the opportunity to play in the knockout stages, where they will face the Spanish national team.
The main favorite to take over the vacant coaching position is former coach of the Russian youth national team Mikhail Gershkovich, who led the youth team to the final tournament of the 1998 European Championships. Meanwhile, Semin is considering returning to work in club football.
Although Semin himself did not reveal where he intends to go, it is believed that he may move to the Moscow club "Dynamo," which this week dismissed Brazilian Ivo Wortmann after an unsuccessful season, or return to another Moscow team, "Lokomotiv," with which he won the Russian championship in 2002 and 2004.
