- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Russian soccer team aiming to prove itself in friendly with Spain

Subscribe
MOSCOW, May 22 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's national soccer team must prove its European competitiveness in a friendly this week against Spain, one of the team's midfield stars said Monday.

Russia, which failed to qualify for this summer's World Cup, will take on World Cup finalist Spain in the Spanish city of Albacete on Saturday in a match many see as a litmus test for the team's future prospects.

"The [upcoming] match gives us an opportunity to show how well we can play," Sergei Semak said, "It gives us a chance to prove that the team is skilled enough to play well with one of Europe's best opponents."

Russia is looking to improve after an often dismal qualifying campaign that included a 7-1 hammering at the hands of Portugal. The Russian Football Union pulled off a major coup when it inked a two-year deal for current PSV Eindhoven and Australia coach Guus Hiddink to take over following this summer's World Cup, which kicks off in Germany next month.

But former CSKA Moscow and Paris Saint Germain player Semak, currently at FC Moscow, said it was reasonable for Russia to be seen as an outsider at major soccer competitions.

"The level of Russian soccer - from [professional] clubs to children's teams - does not give the [national] team the right to be considered a favorite even in qualifying rounds," he said. "We are at best a second-rate team."

Hiddink, who took South Korea to the 2002 World Cup semifinals, has said he wants to see Russia become a European force again.

Striker Dmitry Kirichenko said the Spanish team was highly skillful and full of talented individuals, while goalkeeper Sergei Ovchinnikov said Russia would do its best to win.

"We have never had another goal but victory. I have never seen players to do a bad job on the pitch," he said.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала