Nikolich Joins Ranks of Rare Coaches Leaving after Trophy Triumph

The head coach of Moscow’s CSKA, **[Marko Nikolic](https://www.example.com)**, is set to leave the club in the summer of 2025. During the 2024/2025 season, the Army men, under his guidance, clinched the Fonbet Russian Cup by defeating Rostov in the final (0:0, 4:3 on penalties). This makes Nikolic only the fourth coach to depart from an RPL club immediately after securing a tournament victory.

The last to do so was Italian Paolo Vanoli, who won the Russian Cup in the 2021/2022 season with FC Spartak Moscow before stepping down in favor of Spaniard Guillermo Abascal in June 2022. In 2003, Valery Gazzaev left CSKA after leading the team to the championship gold medals in Russia. Similarly, in 1996, following Spartak’s victory in the Russian Championship, coach Georgy Yartsev also departed.

The club’s press office officially announced the split with Marko Nikolic. According to reports, the coach voluntarily paid the compensation for the termination of his contract in order to join the Greek club AEK.