Russian national team hires Slutsky as coach

Soccer;-Leonid-Slutsky

CSKA Moscow's coach Leonid Slutsky. (AP Photo/Angel Fernandez)

MOSCOW — Russia has appointed CSKA Moscow’s Leonid Slutsky as the new national coach on a short-term deal to rescue its 2016 European Championship qualifying campaign.

Slutsky replaces Fabio Capello, who departed last month after poor results left Russia sitting third in Group G, outside the automatic qualifying places.

Slutsky’s contract runs only until the end of the qualifying campaign in October for group games, or November for the playoffs.

Russia’s first home-grown coach for nine years, Slutsky won the Russian Premier League title with CSKA in 2013 and 2014.

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