By Andrew Warshaw
June 25 – Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has cited the country’s protracted transition season for their surprise group stage elimination from the 2012 European Championship – and also laid the blame partly at the feet of coach Dick Advocaat (pictured below).
Russia went into the tournament on a 14-match unbeaten run but in classic excuse mode, the 2018 World Cup hosts failed to criticise their own players, instead pouring scorn on the new autumn-spring season the country will shortly be embracing to fall into line with the rest of Europe.
“Of course we can’t be playing in December,” said Mutko.
“There is no sense in just killing football.”
Russia’s last domestic season lasted 14 months, starting in March 2011 and finishing last month to allow the next season to begin in July.
Expectations were high that Russia would repeat their 2008 semi-final finish but a 1-1 draw with co-hosts Poland and then a shock 1-0 defeat to Greece sent them home.
“The team potential is much higher than their result,” Mutko said in comments on Russian state television.
“There was hope that we would make it through due to the class, but we didn’t.
“The guys were affected by the championship’s changing from the spring-to-autumn system, they were tired after the lengthy season.
“Secondly, the coaching team did not manage to prepare the players.”
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