Further top signings such as Temuri Ketsbaia, Zurab Khizanishvili and Fan Zhiyi failed to make an improvement to the team results, and Dundee ended the 2001–02 season in a disappointing ninth place. He was sacked on 2 July 2002 by the club management. A few months later he claimed back £800,000 from Dundee, declaring he had loaned the money to his former club in order to perform the signing of Fabián Caballero.
More signings such as Temuri Ketsbaia, Zurab Khizanishvili, and Fan Zhiyi did not improve the team’s performance; Dundee ended the 2001-02 season in ninth place. The manager was dismissed on July 2, 2002 by club management. A few months later, he reclaimed £800,000 from Dundee, claiming it had been a loan to his former club for securing Fabián Caballero's signing.