After a great performance at Euro 2008 and after reaching the semi-finals and eliminating the Dutch, among others, the appetites the Sborna fans have been growing. For Russia, it will be fourth start in the European Championship.
They will play in Group A and will face Greece, the Czech Republic and our representation of Poland. Dick Advocat’s team won in the qualifying rounds in a quite easy group with, inter alia, Ireland, Armenia and Slovakia, scoring 23 points in ten games. In addition to a set-back and a loss at home with the team from Slovakia, the Russians were playing well, winning seven matches and drawing two.
The team leader for several years has been Roman Pavlyuchenko, a Lokomotiv Moscow’s striker. In shooting goals he can count on Andrei Arshavin, Pavel Pogriebnyak, or Alexander Kerzhakov. The representation team of Russia will play their games in Wrocław and at the National Stadium in Warsaw. Russians are assumed to have the biggest chance from all the four teams to leave the group and play in the quarterfinals. It is proved by a high, twelfth place in the FIFA rankings, the eliminations won and a thrilling game at the last championship tournament.
Russia Euro 2012 Squad
Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow), Vyacheslav Malafeev (Zenit St Petersburg), Anton Shunin ( Dinamo Moscow).
Defenders: Aleksandr Anyukov (Zenit St Petersburg), Aleksei Berezutski (CSKA Moscow), Sergei Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow), Vladimir Granat (Dinamo Moscow), Yuri Zhirkov (Anzhi Makhachkala), Dmitri Kombarov (Spartak Moscow), Roman Sharonov (Rubin Kazan), Kirill Nababkin (CSKA Moscow).
Midfielders: Igor Denisov (Zenit St Petersburg), Konstantin Zyryanov (Zenit St Petersburg), Roman Shirokov (Zenit St Petersburg), Denis Glushakov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Igor Semshov (Dinamo Moscow), Marat Izmailov (Sporting Lisbon), Alan Dzagoev (CSKA Moscow).
Forwards: Andrey Arshavin (Zenit St Petersburg), Aleksandr Kerzhakov (Zenit St Petersburg), Aleksandr Kokorin (Dinamo Moscow), Roman Pavlyuchenko (Lokomotiv Moscow), Pavel Pogrebnyak (Fulham).
Russia Euro 2012 Group Matches
Friday, June 8, 2012 Russia v Czech Republic (20:45 CET in Wroclaw)
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 Poland v Russia (20:45 CET in Warsaw)
Saturday, June 16, 2012 Greece v Russia (20:45 CET in Warsaw)
Russia Quick Facts
- Best World Cup Result: Fourth Place (1996, as Soviet Union)
- Best European Championship Result: Winners (1960, as Soviet Union)
- Record Scorer: Vladimir Beschastnykh (26 goals from 1992 to 2003)
- Most Capped Player: Viktor Onopko (109 caps from 1992 to 2004)
- Coach: Dick Advocaat
- Captain: Andrey Arshavin
