Real Madrid beat UEFA Cup and Supercup holders Zenit St. Petersburg 2-1 to win their first away game in Europe in two years. It was also their second successive win in Russia after beating Lokomotiv Moscow in 2003. The game was played at breakneck pace, especially in the first half, resulting in a very open attacking encounter with a large number of chances from both sides. Click to continue reading...

Welcomski once again to League of the Week, and before we start, no - this probably won't be the last comrade-like gag in this article because yes - this week we're turning our attention towards Russia.

First of all, a note to the more observant amongst you. It was suggested last week that we feature the American MLS as our next LoTW, but that will now be next week instead. Click to continue reading...

Ladies & gentlemen, it was destiny. Almost three years after their last Champions League appearance, Juventus's return to the top European competition could only have born the captain's signature. In a moment of free-kick magic, Alessandro Del Piero delivered the victory to the Stadio Olimpico crowd, a magistral ("magistral"? Click to continue reading...

It may seem like a strange appointment, Michael Laudrup being named as the new manager for Spartak Moscow, but when you look a little bit deeper it actually makes perfect sense. First of all, the Russian League has grown immensely where teams are now not only holding onto the top Russian players, but are also in competition to buy top players from other leagues. Click to continue reading...

IL TECNICO GIALLOROSSO
TRA I GRANDI DEL CONTINENTE

Presa l'Europa, riprendi la Roma

Spalletti ieri a Nyon al Forum per Allenatori
di Club d'Elite. Oggi parlerà, ieri ha ringraziato
per i complimenti Scolari. Che guida quel Chelsea
"peccato originale" della stagione romanista

Di DANIELE LO MONACO
Funziona spesso così, negli ambienti calcistici
meno equilibrati. Click to continue reading...

Tottenham have been warned to up their offer if they want to sign Russian ace Andrei Arshavin. Zenit St Petersburg coach Dick Advocaat stated last night that the north London outfits valuation of the Euro 2008 star, is way short of what is acceptable. The former Rangers boss, who left the forward on the bench as his [. Click to continue reading...

Sir Alex Ferguson will have to wait for another chance to win the Super Cup as Dick Advocaat's Zenit Saint Petersburg easily defeated Manchester United 2-1 to win the UEFA Super Cup. Pavel Pogrebnyak and new-man Danni contributed goals each to give the defending Russian Premier League and UEFA Cup Click to continue reading...

Zenit St. Petersburg is the first Russian team to lift the European Super Cup. At the Stade Louis II of Monaco, the winners of last year's UEFA Cup beat the European Champions Manchester United by 2-1, and it was a result thoroughly deserved by Dick Advocaat's team. Only at the very end did the Russians [. Click to continue reading...

This transfer saga has been rumbling on ever since the end of the European Championships in July. Tottenham's lengthy pursuit of Zenit St Petersburg striker Andrei Arshavin is now officially off after the Zenit boss Dick Advocaat admitted Spurs were £6 million short with their bid.

The Russian international claimed last week that he had agreed terms with Spurs and now it was just a case between the two clubs to agree a fee for his services. Click to continue reading...

Ahead of Manchester United's UEFA Super Cup against Zenit St Petersburg in Monaco, opposition manager Dick Advocaat has lavished praise on Sir Alex Ferguson. "He's not just the top manager in Europe, he's top of the world," Advocaat said. "You can't work at that level and stay with one club for so long if you do [. Click to continue reading...

The future of Russian playmaker Andrei Arshavin still remains uncertain despite Zenit St Petersburg's signing of Portuguese midfielder Danny from rivals Dynamo Moscow. Zenit have paid a national record fee for a player in the Russian Premier League and Danny was expected to see the departure of Arshavin to Tottenham Hotspur. Click to continue reading...

One day the story is dead, the next day it's back on. Tottenham's pursuit of Zenit St Petersburg forward Andrei Arshavin has been given a major boost after the Russians' boss Dick Advocaat admitted he expected the player to move to White Hart Lane. Zenit have reportedly lowered their asking price for the 27-year-old to below [. Click to continue reading...

By Alan
Soccer City

Rubin Kazan, the surprise package of the Russian Premier League season, comprehensively beat reigning champions Zenit St. Petersburg 4-1 to defend their position at the top of the table. The scoreline not only signifies Zenit's struggle since their heroics in the UEFA Cup last season, but also Rubin Kazan's sudden elevation to potential champions. Click to continue reading...

Zenit St Petersburg manager Dick Advocaat has urged Spurs to cough up the cash if they want to sign Andrei Arshavin. Former Holland boss Advocaat insisted Arshavin was worth more than Robbie Keane, who recently secured a £20million move to Liverpool, and enticed Spurs to return with 'a more suitable offer. Click to continue reading...

Tottenham will have to spend £19million if they want Arshavin

Tottenham will have to spend £19million and make Andrei Arshavin the highest-paid player in their history in order to sign the Russian playmaker from Zenit St Petersburg. But Roman Pavlyuchenko, Arshavin's compatriot and fellow Spurs target, says he would rather play for Arsenal or Chelsea. Click to continue reading...

Despite only playing two games in Basle and Innsbruck, Russian playmaker Andrei Arshavin has become the hottest property in Europe, with teams all over the continent chasing his signature. The Zenit St Petersburg playmaker won the Russian championship and the UEFA Cup this season with his hometown club, and many predicted he would leave the club [. Click to continue reading...

It is a pretty good rule that you can trust footballers' agents about as far as you can throw them, and given that most of them are greasy overweight leaches that isn't very far in metric terms. As always major tournaments are used as an opportunity for agents to pimp their players in the window of the world's big clubs. Click to continue reading...

Few people are more qualified to comment of the eagerly-awaited Euro 2008 quarter-final between Holland and Russia than Dick Advocaat.

John Duerden caught up with the former Dutch boss and current coach of Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg.

You were at the Euro 2004 and 2006 World Cup –do you miss not being involved? Click to continue reading...

When Russia and the Netherlands square off today, there will be more than a semi-final birth at Euro 2008 at stake: the rhetorical prize of being today's instantiation of Total Football is also on the line. Click to continue reading...

Another star of Euro 2008 greatly interests Arsene Wenger and apparently a move to the Emirates could be imminent.... Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is ready to make a £10million bid for Russia's Euro 2008 star Andrei Arshavin Wenger has already spoken to Zenit St Petersburg chief Dick Advocaat about the talented forward who has the kind of [. Click to continue reading...

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is ready to offer £10 million for Zenit St Petersburg midfielder Andrei Arshavin. The Mirror reports: Wenger has been speaking to Zenit St Petersburg chief Dick Advocaat about the talented forward who has the kind of flair Wenger loves - and may need if he loses any of his players that have [. Click to continue reading...

Second up in Group D it's the pesky Ruskies, the other team along with Croatia to qualify at the expense of the hapless England team.


Russia

Official coach slogan - Russian hands are all for one, Russia is proud of her sons. Click to continue reading...

Not Dick The press websites have been getting giddy with excitement as kick off in Rangers "biggest ever game" draws nearer. Guardian Unlimited had been getting some stick for not covering the game in more detail this week (although when I saw the headline "Bland, Decrepit, Unrelenting" I felt sure it was going to be an article on Broadfoot, Weir and Cuellar) but hit back with a trio of Click to continue reading...

Since taking over as manager of Zenit St. Petersburg, former Rangers and Dutch national team coach Dick Advocaat has led the club to new heights, including their first national top-flight championship in more than two decades last season. Now, along with chasing a title repeat, the reigning Russian champions are chasing European hardware [. Click to continue reading...

Alex McLeish and Dick Advocaat go back a bit. As the latter moved upstairs from the manager's chair to the general manager's office at Ibrox in 2001, he recommended to Rangers Chairman David Murray that he should pluck Alex McLeish from Hibernian to take up his old job. The two have been friends ever since, [. Click to continue reading...

With Dutchman Dick Advocaat seemingly rubberstamped as the next boss of the Australian national team, caretaker coach Graham Arnold has departed by biting back at critics who accuse him of steering the Socceroos ship off course since the highs of last year's World Cup.

It's been a tumultuous journey for Arnold, Guus Hiddink's former assistant, since accepting the national team senior position when Hiddink elected not to renew his short-term contract 15 months ago. Click to continue reading...