Euro Cup 2012- Know the participating Team, Team Profile: Russia

There is less than 12 hours to begin the world’s one of the most exciting tournament euro Cup 2012 where all 16 qualified European giants will fight for the cup.

www.anantasports.com is bringing the profiles of all the participating team to its readers and here it is Russia.

Russia is taking part in the tournaments under the guidance of coach

Dick Advocaat. Dick Advocaat’s Side have qualified for the tournaments topping the qualifying Group B ahead of Ireland Slovekia and Armenia.They only assured themselves of automatic qualification on the penultimate matchday with a 1-0 win away at Slovakia.

 The modern Russian national team played its first international fixture against Mexico in 1992. Following the break-up of the Soviet Union, it is considered by FIFA to be the natural successor to the U.S.S.R. team, even though many of the former U.S.S.R.s best known players were actually from the Ukraine, for example, seven of the Soviet starting eleven in the final of Euro 88 were Ukrainian.

Russian Football team for Euro 2012

Russia as the U.S.S.R., qualified for seven World Cup Finals, their best run in the competition proper took them to fourth place in 1966 in England. The U.S.S.R. fared slightly better in European competition reaching the final tournament on six occasions (as the C.I.S. in 1992), winning the European Nations Cup, as it was then known

Russia had an excellent 2008 tournament reaching the semi-finals before eventually losing to Spain 3-0. Russia are drawn in Group A along with the hosts Poland, Czech Republic and Greece who won Euro 2004. So they have what is arguably the easiest group. Russia dominated their qualifying campaign with only one defeat in ten games.

    They bested Ireland and other tough sides like Armenia and Slovakia. Once again though Russia avoided the really big teams and so they are relatively untried against world class opposition in a really meaningful game. Russia look favourites to qualify from this group but this is where their run of facing weaker sides will end because they will surely face a top side in the quarter-finals and beyond. Do not expect Russia to win Euro 2012 but they will be dangerous opponents for any team.

Coach Dick Advocaat

Regardless of his team's showing at Euro 2012, Russia coach Dick Advocaat faces inevitable comparisons with his predecessor Guus Hiddink.

Advocaat succeeded his Dutch compatriot, who steered Russia to the Euro 2008 semi-finals for their best showing in 20 years, following their failure to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.

Unlike his charming predecessor, who was adored by Russian fans and media alike, Advocaat has faced severe criticism throughout the qualifying campaign.

Russian Coach Dick Advocaat

Captain Andrey Arshavin

The enigmatic Arshavin's form seems to have rebounded to an extent having returned to Zenit on loan from Arsenal in January after a spell during which his standards slipped from his 2008 annus mirabilis, when he won the Uefa Cup with the St. Petersburg side and imposed himself on the international consciousness with his performances at Euro 2008.

Russia can look bereft of inspiration at times but Arshavin is the man to whom they will turn for creativity in attack. His form and attitude have shown signs of improving in recent months, just in time for him to make another impression at a European Championship.

Russian Captain Andrey Arshavin

Player to watch:

Alan Dzagoev - One of Russia's top scorers in the qualifiers with four goals, the 22-year-old playmaker with CSKS Moscow is considered one of his country's top prospects. He could be the breakout star of this tournament.

Russian Player Alan Dzagoev

Jersy :

Brand: Adidas
 Home Jersey: Red with white and blue diagonal stripes
Away Jersey: White with blue and red diagonal stripes

Russian Home and Away Jersy

How Russia qualified for Euro 2012: Russia qualifed for euro 2012 after topping the Group B points table before Ireland( which qualify after play off), Armenia and Slovakia

 Russian Squad for Euro 2012:

Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow), Vyacheslav Malafeev (Zenit St. Petersburg), Anton Shunin (Dinamo Moscow)

Defenders: Alexander Anyukov (Zenit St. Petersburg), Alexei Berezutski (CSKA Moscow), Sergei Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow), Vladimir Granat (Dinamo Moscow), Yuri Zhirkov (Anzhi), Roman Sharonov (Rubin Kazan), Kirill Nababkin (CSKA Moscow)

Midfielders: Igor Denisov (Zenit St. Petersburg), Roman Shirokov (Zenit St. Petersburg), Konstantin Zyryanov (Zenit St. Petersburg), Denis Glushakov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Igor Semshov (Dinamo Moscow), Dmitry Kombarov (Spartak Moscow)

Forwards: Andrei Arshavin (Arsenal), Alexander Kerzhakov (Zenit St.Petersburg), Roman Pavlyuchenko (Tottenham), Pavel Pogrebnyak (Stuttgart), Alan Dzagoyev (CSKA Moscow), Marat Izmailov, (Sporting), Alexander Kokorin (Dinamo Moscow)