Euro 2008
Euro 2008 Who’s Who - RUSSIA
Guus Hiddink will lead Russia into Euro 2008 having beaten England to the second qualifying spot and Mike Martin analyses his squad.
Coach
Guus HIDDINK: Tactically astute Dutch veteran constantly linked with the Chelsea job but protests he will remain in his current post after Euro 2008. Took his own nation to a World Cup semi final in 1998 and then did the same, miraculously, with South Korea four years later and helped Australia to their first World Cup in 22 years in 2006. May switch between 4-2-3-1 and 3-4-1-2 periodically, depending on the fitness of Pogrebnyak and the availability of Arshavin. Probably sent a Christmas card to Mladen Petric.
Goalkeepers
Igor AKINFEEV (CSKA Moscow): Went to Euro 2004 as an 18-year-old reserve, now first choice goalkeeper despite missing qualification matches through injury. Now captain of his club and still just 22.
Vladimir GABULOV (Kuban Krasnodar): Has been on loan at Amkar Perm and will move to Dynamo Moscow after the tournament. Third-choice goalkeeper but played in the 2-1 home win over England in qualifying as Akinfeev was injured and Malafeev suspended.
Viacheslav MALAFEEV (Zenit St Petersburg): UEFA Cup-winning goalkeeper but behind Akinfeev in the national team running order. Has tournament experience, replacing the sent-off Sergei Ovchinnikov against Portugal and Greece at Euro 2004.
Defenders
Aleksandr ANYUKOV (Zenit St Petersburg): Fast, attack-minded right-back who will start in a 4-5-1 formation but would probably be dropped if they change to 3-4-1-2, with Bystrov playing as a wing-back. Played in the 2-1 win over eventual tournament winners Greece in 2004.
Aleksei BEREZUTSKIY (CSKA Moscow): Will play at left-back in a 4-2-3-1 or on the left of a back three. An adaptable if utilitarian player, he can even fill in as a wing-back or holding midfielder but Russia have far better options for those positions. Hiddink claims he was given the captain’s armband in March friendly defeat to Romania so he could tell him from his brother…
Vasili BEREZUTSKIY (CSKA Moscow): The mirror of his idential twin, a right-sided defender who will play in the middle of a back four but on the right of a back three for club and country, with Ignashevich sandwiched between him and his brother.
Sergei IGNASHEVICH (CSKA Moscow): Central defender with a good club relationship with the Berezutskiy twins which could persuade Hiddink to start with a back three, allowing him to play Bystrov and Zhirkov as attacking wing-backs and two forwards.
Denis KOLODIN (Dynamo Moscow): Set-piece taking central defender who will battle with Ignashevich for a starting berth. Can also play in central midfield or even up front, where he began his career. Missed a penalty against Andorra in the vital last qualifying match.
Roman SHIROKOV (Zenit St Petersburg): Originally a midfield playmaker, he was re-invented as a sweeper by club boss Dick Advocaat, a compatriot of Hiddink, and can build attacks from deep. Would be more useful in this respect in a back three.
Renat YANBAYEV (Lokomotiv Moscow): Emerging 24-year-old left-back unlikely to be picked ahead of Aleksei Berezutskiy or Zhirkov. Quick and positive but untested at international level.
Midfielders
Diniyar BILYALETDINOV (Lokomotiv Moscow): Attacking midfielder who prefers a central station to the left flank. Captains his club and coaches the reserve team at just 23. Would be the middle of the ‘3′ in a 4-2-3-1 line-up.
Vladimir BYSTROV (Spartak Moscow): The right winger is fast - literally; his name means ‘fast’ in Russian and he is appropriately one of the quickest players in Europe. A technically adept positive runner prepared to join the forwards in attacking moves.
Ivan SAENKO (Nuremberg): Attacking midfielder who can be positioned on the wing or behind the striker(s). The only Russian squad-member who plays abroad; now 24, he was a key player in the Under-21 team before attracting the attentions of his German club. May seek a transfer after Nuremberg’s relegation in May.
Sergei SEMAK (Rubin Kazan): 32-year-old ignored by Hiddink since 2006; his only tournament squad inclusion was for the 2002 World Cup. Unexpectedly recalled this year and was made captain in the 6-0 friendly win over Kazakhstan on 23rd May in Moscow.
Igor SEMSHOV (Dynamo Moscow): The opposite of Shirokov; he was a sweeper, now he’s a midfield playmaker. Lies deep in the centre of midfield alongside Zyrianov.
Dmitri TORBINSKY (Lokomotiv Moscow): Versatile midfielder most commonly used wide left. Will start if Zhirkov is moved to play on the left of a back four but will not figure as a wing-back in a 3-4-1-2 formation.
Yuri ZHIRKOV (CSKA Moscow): The key player to Russia’s tactical deployment. A talented, speedy, incisive, left-sided player, but does Hiddink view him as a winger or a full-back?
Konstantin ZYRIANOV (Zenit St Petersburg): Scored the second goal in the UEFA Cup Final win over Rangers having been named Russia’s Player of the Year in 2007. A deep-lying playmaker with a strong passing game, he also knows where the goal is. Now 30, he only made his international début in 2006 but is now the key playmaker in the absence of Arshavin. Has an impressively character; his wife took her life and that of his four-year-old daughter six years ago.
Strikers
Roman ADAMOV (Moscow): Strong target-man, provides an alternative up front in the likely absence of Pogrebnyak for the first game against Spain.
Andrei ARSHAVIN (Zenit St Petersburg): The superb playmaker and national captain has world-class vision and technique and an eye for goal but is clearly not the brightest bulb in the circuit having earned a two-match suspension for a red card earned against Andorra, of all people. If Russia are still in the picture by the last match against Sweden, his return could be key to their fortunes.
Roman PAVLYUCHENKO (Spartak Moscow): Most probable first-choice striker who scored both goals in the vital home win over England in qualifying as an impact substitute for Aleksandr Kerzhakov, whose career is on the slide and is not in the final 23.
Pavel POGREBNYAK (Zenit St Petersburg): Fine 24-year-old striker with great potential but has injury problems hanging over him going in the tournament. Likely to be absent for at least the first match against Spain, having already missed the UEFA Cup Final due to suspension. Joint top scorer in that tournament this season with Luca Toni.
Dmitri SYCHEV (Lokomotiv Moscow): Still only 24, played as an 18-year-old wonderkid in the 2002 World Cup and scored against Belgium but didn’t impress at Euro 2004. Still arguably the most gifted centre-forward but Hiddink values form and will go with Pavlyuchenko from the start.
Wish You Were Here?
ENGLAND, frankly. Russia were rarely convincing in qualifying, thrashed 3-0 at Wembley and losing in Israel while toiling through two unwatchable goalless draws with Croatia, to whose wins over England they owe their qualification.
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