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Zenit hires former Shakhtar coach Lucescu on 2-year contract

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) - Zenit St. Petersburg says former Shakhtar Donetsk coach Mircea Lucescu has signed a two-year contract with the Russian club.

Lucescu will replace Andre Villas-Boas, who led Zenit to third place in the Russian league and missed qualification for next season's Champions League.

In 12 years with Shakhtar, the 70-year-old Romanian won eight Ukrainian league titles and the 2009 UEFA Cup.

Shakhtar announced that its 2-0 win over Zorya Luhansk in the Ukraine Cup final was Lucescu's last match with the club. It has spent two years playing home matches in Lviv because of conflict between government and pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk.

Lucescu has also coached the Romania national team and Inter Milan.

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