Iberia Star confirm Sarkisyan appointment

UEFA Futsal Cup hosts Iberia Star Tbilisi have parted ways with coach Sergio Benatti, and confirmed assistant Aleksandr Sarkisyan as his replacement.

Iberia, who face MFK Dinamo on Friday in the semi-finals, have entered every edition of the UEFA Futsal Cup but only made the showpiece stage for the first time this season under the Brazilian, who won in 2005 with Action 21 Charleroi and has returned to his homeland.

This decision was taken after the team's return from Baku, where Iberia Star played two friendlies against Araz Naxçivan winning the first one 3-1 and losing the other 5-2. Sarkisyan, Georgia's all-time leading scorer and a former Iberia player, has been on the coaching staff for five years and has had previous spells in charge, with two championship wins in that time.

"I worked with Sergio Benatti for ten months and I'm sorry he had to leave for Brazil just a few days before the UEFA finals," Sarkisyan said. "All the players have shown respect towards this move. Their mood has not changed and everyone is bursting to get into the action."