[2] On 14 June 1998 Italian Serie A side Roma officially agreed with Spartak for 7 million USD and the player moved to Rome.

[3] In 2000, he moved to Portuguese Primeira Liga side Porto, where he made a strong first impression, scored the equalizing goal against rivals Sporting CP in the first leg of the 2000 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira.

He was also impressive overall in first season, as Porto captured the Taça de Portugal after winning the final 2–0 against Marítimo, Alenichev scoring the second goal.

In the former, against Celtic, he scored the second goal, following a pass from Deco; and in the latter, against Monaco, he closed the scoreline with a powerful volley shot following a deflected through cross from Derlei.

On 8 April 2006, Sport-Express published Alenichev's interview containing severe criticism of Aleksandrs Starkovs, Spartak's head coach at the time.

[4][5] Following that, Alenichev was fined, dismissed from the first team, transfer listed 14 April[6] and on 10 September his contract was finally terminated by mutual agreement.

[9] At the end of that season, Spartak won the Russian Premier League for the first time in 16 years under the management of his assistant Massimo Carrera.