On 17 January 2013 in view of the fact that Rustem Huzin had been accepted on a coaching course for his UEFA Pro Licence, he became eligible for the post of head coach, and Trubachev's contract was terminated. From then on, Huzin officially served as Amkar's head coach. Under Huzin, Amkar recorded its biggest ever victory in the Premier League over Alania Vladikavkaz (5–1), and then played out draws with Dynamo Moscow (1–1), and Rubin Kazan (1–1), having lost their Spring matches to Kuban Krasnodar (1–2) and Spartak Moscow (0–2). A series without a win followed the victory over Alania and after the Dynamo match Amkar lost to Terek Grozny (1–2) and Lokomotiv Moscow (2–4).