The rumors of Zico's imminent demise came fact yesterday when CSKA Moskow, ten points behind league-leading Rubin, fired their Brazilian coach, replacing him with Juande Ramos.

First word that Zico could be replace surfaced two months ago before CSKA had a brief improvement in form, including a win at Rubin Kazan on July 18. Now, the CSKA finds itself in a fight for a Champions League spot after losing at FC Rostov in the last round. On 33 points through 20 matches, CSKA currently holds fourth place, one point behind third place FC Moscow.

Zico was in his first season with CSKA, having coming over from Uzbekistan to replace Valery Gazzaev. He led CSKA to wins in the Russian Cup and the Russian Super Cup but was a target to criticism as CSKA had failed to challenge for the league's lead.

In a statement, CSKA thanked Zico and noted his accomplishments.

''We thank Arthur Antunes Coimbra (Zico) for the time he spent at the club and for victory in the Russian Cup and Super Cup, which were achieved under his management. We will remain good friends and wish him luck in his future work.''

Juande Ramos takes over immediately, having last coached at Real Madrid. He started last season at Tottenham Hotspur and is most known for his back-to-back UEFA Cup victories at Sevilla between 2005 and 2007.

This article was originally published on Russian Football Now, proud partner of Mad About Fútbol.