Phillips leaves Krasnodar as foreign exodus continues
Phillips had worked for Krasnodar since October 2020
Written by Training Ground Guru — March 5, 2022
FORMER QPR Head of Performance John Phillips has left Russian side Krasnodar following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
His exit follows that of manager Daniel Farke, assistant Edmund Riemer, performance coach Chris Domogalla and first-team coach Christopher John earlier in the week.
The trio left without actually having taken charge of a match. Farke joined the club in January and had signed a deal until the summer of 2024.
The former Norwich boss said: "The current political development and the associated request from our children, wives, families and friends to come home and the loss of all sporting perspectives have now led to this well-considered decision.
"It is very difficult for us, because we were received very warmly from day one. We formed a great community with different nationalities in a very short time, who wanted to pursue sporting goals together - with joy and fun. Unfortunately, the serious side of life has now caught up with us."
Meanwhile, Krasnodar have suspended the contracts of their eight foreign players, forcing them to train alone. Phillips joined Krasnodar in October 2020 as their Head of Sport Science and was promoted to Head of Performance a year later.
He has previously worked for QPR for seven years and also for the Football Association, Southampton, Malmo in Sweden, Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia and the Taiwan national team.
Writing on Twitter, Phillips said: “Sadly, due to the situation, my time has come to leave this amazing club FC Krasnodar. Thank you to all the staff, players, fans and people of Krasnodar who have made me feel so welcome.
“I hope we can continue the project in the future when things calm down and hope everyone stays safe and well until then. For those who remain, it’s time to show your strength and ability on the pitch.”
