Stankovic: I Missed Being Close to My Spartak Players During Suspension

The head coach of Spartak, **Dejan Stanković**, addressed whether he missed football during his month-long suspension. Today, October 21, the red-and-whites will face Makhachkala’s Dynamo in the sixth round of the group stage of the RPL Path of the Fonbet Cup of Russia.

— I was always with the guys throughout this period. Except for the 90 minutes during matches, when I was in the stands cheering and feeling the tension of those games alongside them. Of course, I missed it. It wasn’t the same being 20 to 30 meters away from them.

**– Who do you think is ready to step up as a leader in defense due to Babich’s injury?**
– This is part of the responsibility of a head coach. The season is long, and anything can happen. We are prepared to make those decisions. We have options and players available, — Stanković told Match TV.

For context, the Serbian coach was suspended for a month (until October 19) from all competitions sanctioned by the Russian Football Union for using foul and offensive language towards the referee during the 8th round match of the Mir RPL against Dynamo Moscow, which ended in a 2-2 draw.