Coach Dick Advocaat was fired by Zenit St. Petersburg

Zenit is currently seventh in the 16-team Russian league with 24 points after 17 games, 10 points behind leader Rubin Kazan.

Dutch-born Advocaat led Zenit to its first Russian league title in 2007 and won the UEFA Cup a year afterward.

In June, Advocaat, who acquire over Zenit in 2006, announced that he would not make longer his contract with the club at the ending of the season and would take over Belgium’s state team.
Advocaat has earlier coached the national teams of the Netherlands, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates, as well as PSV Eindhoven and Scottish League winner Rangers.

Zenit St. Petersburg fired coach Dick Advocaat on Monday subsequent a 2-0 home loss to rival team Tom in the Russian soccer league on Sunday.

Anatoly Davydov, the club’s youth squad manager, was appointed temporary coach.

Toure New Deal

* Toure signs four-year contract with Manchester City
* City extravaganza tops 90 million pounds ($147.4 million)
Manchester City returned to Premier League rivals Arsenal on Wednesday to sign Ivory Coast defender Kolo Toure for an unrevealed figure.
Toure, 28, whose squad mate Emmanuel Adebayor joined City earlier this month, has signed a four-year deal with Mark Hughes’ side
British media expected the fee at 16 million pounds.
City is in the market for defenders after compiling an impressive frontward line in the close season.
“It is no secret that we have been looking to reinforce our defence and in Kolo I feel we have recruited a world class player,” said City manager Mark Hughes.
They have also had bids rejected for Everton defender Joleon Lescott and Chelsea and England captain John Terry.
The big-spending club have previously signed striking trio Roque Santa Cruz of Paraguay from Blackburn Rovers, Argentina’s Carlos Tevez and Togo international Adebayor.
England midfielder Gareth Barry has also joined from Aston Villa with the club having now depleted over 90 million pounds.
Toure tied Arsenal from Ivorian club Asec Mimosas in February 2002 and won the FA Cup at the end of his first season in 2003.
City, measured the richest club in the world, are bankrolled by rich Arab owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan and are predictable to compete for Champions League qualification next season.