Kostroma Spartak founder and senior analyst Dmitry Khotimsky has revealed how the club discovered Iranian defender Nader Mohammadi, a player who has become known for his extraordinary long-range flip throw-ins.
According to Khotimsky, while looking for a player with this particular skill, he turned to ChatGPT.
“I asked ChatGPT. It said something like, ‘Type long throw into Instagram.’ So I did, and it showed me his clips. Then things got pretty surprising: we called him, he was a free agent, and we signed him,” Khotimsky told journalist Sergey Ilyov.
Khotimsky is listed on the club’s official website as Spartak’s founder and senior analyst.
The 29-year-old Mohammadi joined Spartak in the summer of 2026. His main weapon has been his unusual throw-in technique: the Iranian takes a run-up, performs a forward flip with the ball in his hands and launches it dozens of metres into the opposition penalty area.
This season, Mohammadi has already provided three assists from flip throw-ins.
Spartak now hope to make Mohammadi’s trademark throws even more dangerous. The club have signed 25-year-old Bosnian striker Armin Spahić, who stands 205 cm tall. The club’s official website also lists him as wearing the No. 87 shirt.
According to Khotimsky, Spahić is expected to make his debut on September 14.
“Then we’ll see what this system is capable of,” he said.
Asked whether Spartak were specifically counting on a Mohammadi–Spahić partnership, Khotimsky replied:
“Yes, of course. That’s exactly what we’re counting on.”