Champions League, Global, Manchester United, Uefa Cup

Footballing World in Monte Carlo

We can be thankful that football and politics are, on the whole, kept separate. The rise of Russian football aptly corresponds to the country’s endeavours to become the new superpower, thus usurping the United States and belittling the rest of Europe. As Russia attempts to join the ruling powers on the globe, Zenit St Petersburg are aiming to challenge the stranglehold Italian, Spanish and English sides have on European football.

And it seems that the standing elite are ill-prepared to counter this surge.

As Manchester United scratch their heads at an unexpected defeat, Zenit are progressing at a frightening rate and will, undoubtedly, catch up one day soon. A composed display at the Stade Louis II gave them a deserved victory to back-up their new credentials earned after a stunning Uefa Cup campaign last season which included triumphs over Bayern Munich and then Rangers in the final.

Spending 30m euros on one player - Danny, who began his repayments with the winning goal last night - sugests new affluency and a grand ambition which, if followed through, is likely to trigger further nights of continental glory like those witnessed in Manchester in May and again in southern France at August’s death.

Dick Advocaat, in his post-match press conference, bemoaned the tough Champions League qualifying group Zenit had been handed (understandably so, with Juventus and Real Madrid also in Group H) in their first ever campaign in the competition. Yet after overcoming a virtually full-strength Man Utd side, it will surely be the two big guns who will be looking over regretfully at the other names in Pot 3. While it would be a surprise if Zenit qualified, such a feat could and would not be described as a shock. Zenit haver shown that they can play and beat the best in category (who better than to demonstrate a new level of footballing authority than against the reigning champions of Europe?) and with Real and Juventus both struggling in the summer transfer market, there is room for Advocaat’s side to progress.

Russian football is in rude health, boisterous at its recent successes (CSKA Moscow also won the Uefa Cup, back in 2005) and ready for its latest challenge: creating a side capable of winning the Champions League. It will surely be at least three years before the likes of Zenit can honestly rival the rest for the ultimate prize, but that would nonetheless represent an incredible level of progress. Three years ago, no Russian side had ever won a European competition; now, a team like Zenit has the money and organisation to win the Champions League.

Perhaps the supporters best demonstrate how Russian football has evolved. Previously, they would never travel outside of Russia to watch their side play. This was painfully obvious when CSKA triumphed and only a couple of thousand fans were there to witness it in Portugal. Yet in Manchester earlier this year, despite original fears that Zenit would not take up their full allocation, they at last came out in force and then in Monte Carlo outnumbered the Man Utd support. All these factors add to the sense that Russian football is gearing itself up for something huge, perhaps even a team that can regularly fight, and win, against the established sides in Europe.

The national side’s qualification for Euro 2008 - and the impressive displays Guus Hiddink’s men put on once in Austria and Switzerland - mirrors the development of the domestic league and is beginning to reflect fortunes in European club competition also. Russia, of course, went to the Euros instead of England and Zenit picked up the Super Cup at the expense of England’s best club. These two successes are early warning signs that Russian football is set to dominate the peninsula in the same way English football has done over the least three or four years in particular, just like Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin have consistently challenged the rest of Europe, defying the norm, and the rules, in doing so.

Few had heard of Zenit Saint Petersburg up until earlier this year, but those three words will be common football language over the next few months - and eventually even engraved onto that coveted cup with big ears.

Tags: Champions League, CSKA Moscow, Danny, Dick Advocaat, Euro 2008, Manchester United, Russia, Super Cup, Uefa Cup, Zenit Saint Petersburg

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