Vladimir Latunov's 22-year journey across Eastern Europe had come to an end as his FC Ural Yekaterinburg side lifted the Russian title for the first time in their history in 2042.
Soviet Surge | Part 19 | Rijeka #4: Record Breaking Handzic
HNK Rijeka were right in the mix for the Croatian title, just six points behind the almost unbeatable Dinamo Zagreb. Their efforts had once again been led by free-scoring striker Zijad Handzic, while the club's owners were reportedly worried by manager Vladimir Latunov walking away at the end of his contract in the summer.
Soviet Surge | Part 18 | Rijeka #3: Big Name Signings
A first season in Croatia ended without a trophy but offered glimpses of promise, including a potential superstar striker smashing goalscoring records. However, the HNK Rijeka board were unhappy with Vladimir Latunov not signing high-reputation players, which he immediately set about addressing in the summer of 2028.
Soviet Surge | Part 17 | Rijeka #2: Lethal Handzic
Life in Croatia had gotten off to a solid start but a worrying dip towards the last month or so of 2027 had Vladimir Latunov slightly concerned about the strength of his new HNK Rijeka side. With that in mind, he used a 50-day winter break to begin spending the £20 million or so transfer kitty available to him.
Soviet Surge | Part 16 | Rijeka #1: Rebuilding Rijeka
Having wrapped up the national title in Czech Republic, adding to those in Poland, Turkey and Hungary, it was time for Russian manager Vladimir Latunov to spread his wings once more. He'd resigned from Viktoria Plzen and eventually wrapped up a move to Croatia with HNK Rijeka.