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Scotsman Miller to coach Russia’s FC Sibir

Alex Miller, 62, was appointed chief coach of Russia’s Sibir Football Club from Novosibirsk

NOVOSIBIRSK, January 9 (Itar-Tass) —— Scottish football manager and former player Alex Miller, 62, was appointed chief coach of Russia’s Sibir Football Club from Novosibirsk which are bidding for the national elite league.

Miller replaced Dmitry Radyukin who coached Sibir since May 2011, the FC said on its official website on Monday.

Stanislav Zhuravsky, member of Sibir’s board of directors, said talks with Miller continued for a long time. “We selected from five candidates. Miller is of interest for us as he worked for a long time in a top club of the best league in the world. He is of interest both as a professional coach and as an organizer. The contract stipulates for his consultations regarding the buildup of the sport vertical in the club, the holding of seminars for coaches of the youth and junior teams, etc. I believe he is the first English Premier League coach in Russia,” said Zhuravsky who did not disclose the amount of the contract.

Miller had a 15 year career with Rangers. As a manager, he won the 1991 Scottish League Cup with Hibernian. He led the club from 1986 to 1996 through a “difficult” period in its history as the club came through financial problems.

He subsequently worked for Premier League club Liverpool for nine years, assisting Gerard Houllier and Rafael Ben·tez also in the year when Liverpool won the Champions League. He then moved to Coventry City as assistant manager and a year later moved to manage Aberdeen.

In 2008 he managed Japanese side JEF United Chiba. Despite taking over the club when they had taken just two points from eleven games, Miller managed to guide the team to safety from relegation. In 2010 Miller was appointed manager of Swedish AIK.