Jerusalem, Jan 4 (IANS): Vladimir Ivic, head coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv, has left the Israeli club to join Russian side FC Krasnodar.

"Maccabi has mutually agreed with Vladimir Ivic to terminate his contract with immediate effect," said a statement issued by the Israeli club after the team's 5-0 home win over Bnei Sakhnin in the State Cup.

Israeli sports website One reported that the 45-year-old Serbian's salary at the Russian club would be 2.3 million euros per season, almost three times greater than his earnings at Maccabi.

Ivic said that he decided to leave because the Russian league is stronger and he wants to grow professionally, Xinhua reports.

"Maccabi will appoint a good coach in my place, and I am sure that the team will celebrate the Israeli championship title at the end of the season," he added.

"Until the last second with us, Ivic was most professional, and demanded the best from himself and from us," said Maccabi attacker Eran Zahavi. "I really respect that."

Last June, Maccabi signed Ivic on a two-year contract for his second stint at the club, after having served in the job between 2018 and 2020, in which he led Maccabi to two Israeli championship titles.

Between his two periods in Israel, Ivic was named head coach of Watford in England's second tier in 2020, but was dismissed in the middle of the season.

Ivic leaves Maccabi in second place in the Israeli Premier League after 16 rounds, six points behind champions Maccabi Haifa, and arrives in Krasnodar with the club currently in eighth place in the Russian Premier League.

Israeli media reported that one of the candidates to replace Ivic at Maccabi is Spain's Aitor Karanka, who has previously coached three English clubs and Granada in Spain.