Yartsev to stand by his men

As the countdown to UEFA EURO 2004™ gathers pace, uefa.com considers what the coming months might hold for the 16 finalists. Today we look at Russia.

By Eduard Nisenboim

For Russia coach Georgi Yartsev, 2004 began in happy circumstances with the signing of a new contract that ties him to the job until 2006.

Doubts resolved
With any doubts over his future now resolved, Yartsev can now focus on trying to assemble a squad capable of ending a miserable run of Russian form in major tournaments. So far all the signs are that he will keep faith with the players who participated in the side's qualifying campaign, which concluded with a play-off victory over Wales. "All those who were a regular part of the team which won a place at the EURO will go to Portugal if fit," he said recently.

Trio abroad
Yartsev's plans will be aided by the fact that just three of his top players ply their trade abroad - Dmitri Alenichev of FC Porto, Aleksandr Mostovoi of RC Celta de Vigo and Dmitri Sytchev of Olympique de Marseille. And for Sytchev, that may not be case for much longer, with rumours currently linking him with a switch to FC Lokomotiv Moskva.

Domestic restart
Gauging the form of Yartsev's players is somewhat difficult at present. The Russian season ended in October and does not kick off again until the middle of March. Hence Yartsev can only realistically begin assessing his players' condition in the spring.

Good news
However, the decision of his captain Viktor Onopko to sign for FC Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast has been a major boost. The move reunites Russia's most experienced defender with Yartsev's long-time colleague Oleg Romantsev and will ensure he gets plenty of first-team action ahead of the tournament. Russia open their campaign against Group A rivals against Spain on 12 June, in a repeat of the 1964 final which they lost.

Main concerns
Russia's main concerns are in attack with few candidates to fill the attacking roles in Portugal making a compelling case for inclusion. Last season just one Russian striker, FC Zenit St. Petersburg's Aleksandr Kerzhakov, managed more than ten domestic league goals.

Ideal frontline
The ideal frontline of many observers would be Kerzhakov and Sytchev, but the bright young hope of Russian football has been in and out of the Marseille side in Ligue 1, hence the rumours linking him with a return to his homeland.

Goalkeeping dilemma
The goalkeeping position could also prove tricky for Yartsev. Lokomotiv's Sergei Ovchinnikov, the current No1, is without doubt a class stopper, but behind him resources are wafer-thin with the country's next most experienced contender, Zenit's Viatcheslav Malafeev, possessing just one cap.

Lokomotiv reliance
The national side's reliance on Lokomotiv players may also undermine Yartsev. The Russian internationals in the Lokomotiv ranks will miss February's trip to Japan as they return to training earlier than usual to prepare for their UEFA Champions League last-16 showdown against AS Monaco FC.