Shalimov sparks Russia women's revival

Russia are gearing up for the UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2009™ finals in Finland this summer having missed out four years ago in England. And one of the chief reasons for their qualification was a famous name from the ranks of men's football, coach Igor Shalimov.

Qualification
The 39-year-old, who played for FC Spartak Moskva, FC Internazionale Milano and Udinese Calcio among others in a career which also took in spells in Germany and Switzerland, replaced Yuri Bystritsky at the Russia women's helm in May 2008. Victories against Israel, Austria and Poland and a 0-0 draw with Norway booked a play-off slot and a 3-2 first-leg win in Scotland proved invaluable as they held on to qualify on away goals following a 2-1 home defeat. "Russia beat Scotland 6-0 a couple of years ago, but it meant nothing, as women's football is progressing very rapidly and there are lots of teams who are much stronger now than they used to be a couple of years ago," Shalimov told uefa.com.

Challenge
A veteran of one FIFA World Cup and two UEFA European Championships with the Soviet Union and Russia, Shalimov was a surprise choice as women's national coach, his first role in female football, having been out of the game following a short spell in charge of FC Uralan Elista in 2003. "For me, it's a big challenge," Shalimov explained. "It's more difficult to work with women than with men, but at the same time it's very interesting.

Potential
"Being a women's head coach you can't praise someone as much as you can't criticise someone, as this would lead to bad relationships inside the team. You need to keep the right balance all the time. But I can see an enormous potential in these girls regarding the physical side, tactical knowledge and technical ability. The women's game is progressing very fast, so it's possible to see the results of my work in a short period of time. Also, I'm at the helm of a national team, so it's a big responsibility. This job is very important and very interesting for me."

Ambition
He has ambitious aims even beyond the European finals, where they face Sweden, England and Italy in Group C. Shalimov is targeting a place at the next Olympics, which would mean qualifying for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and finishing as one of the top UEFA members. "Our big goal is to make the Olympic Games in 2012," Shalimov said. "By reaching the tournament in Finland we have taken a big step forward, as this could mean a lot for the development of the women's game in Russia. I also hope many Russian supporters will be in Finland next summer. After Russia won the bronze at UEFA EURO 2008™ football attracted investment. I hope some of that money will be spent on women's football. The toughest problem we face now is that not many girls are playing football. If we are successful at UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2009™, many young girls would love to play."

Confidence
That cause is aided by a success at youth level as few years ago, when Russia won the 2005 UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship with current senior Elena Morozova and Olga Petrova among the squad. "We have eight people in the squad who were the best on the continent at their age. These girls are 21 or 22 years of age now, so they can still progress. However, they have a winning mentality. My players believe in their ability, all of them have confidence."