Antonio Conte took over at Chelsea in the summer and one of the surprising omissions from the backroom staff was Massimo Carrera.

The Italian was a major source of Conte’s success in the last five years.Carrera was the assistant manager to Conte when he was in charge of Juventus and the Italian national team. He was widely expected to follow suit at Chelsea, but he seemed to be left stranded in the summer. This led toCarrera’s unexpected move to Russian football with Spartak Moscow. Carrera took over a similar position with the Russian outfit and his career seemed to have come to a grinding halt.

Now, though,Carrerais not considered as one of the best managers in Russian football after managing to get Spartak Moscow – a mid-table outfit in the league that consists of heavy hitters like Zenit St Petersburg and CSKA Moscow – to the top of the table with some incredible results.Carrera has managed to get the club playing an attractive style of football which has also produced results.

The latest source of confirmation came through the brilliant 3-1 win over rivals CSKA Moscow at home. The victory has put Spartak, who struggled to even qualify for the Europa League under the previous regime, top of the table alongside Zenit St Petersburg.

“It’s about the growth of the team, who are getting better every day and giving their heart and soul on the pitch.I am trying to bring an intelligent Italian style to Russia, wherefootball is less tactical and teams are less organized,” said Carrera after the game. One of the major advantages Spartak Moscow have – compared to the title favourites like CSKA Moscow and Zenit St Petersburg – is the lack of any distraction in the form of European football after failing to make it to the Europa League group stages.