Russian team in 2009: what’s new?

Russian team played two competitive games, facing Azerbaijan and Lichtenstein. Russia gained two shaggy victories, scoring just 3 goals against the weakest opponents in the group. But the most important thing is that Russia collected 6 points and still occupies second place in the group. The football season in Russia has just started, before facing Azerbaijan some of the national team players have hardly played 90 minutes of competitive games in 2009.

The 2009 have already brought a couple of changes into the team.

Maroon kit

Adidas replaced Nike as Russian national football team sponsor, the new contract is reportedly 12 times more profitable for the Russian side. The Russian Football Union will get 100 million dollars from Adidas as well as 5% of sales profits. Adidas used to equip several Soviet football squads, the new agreement with Russia will last until 2018.

On the 25th of march Adidas revealed the new kit. Traditionally Russia played in red, white and blue. The new kit is very different, Russia’s new home colors are maroon and golden, the away colors are traditional, white and red. Adidas managers argue that the new home colors remind of the Red wall, built from maroon brick.

Many supporters grumble over the new kit, claiming that maroon has nothing to do with Soviet or Russian traditions. Others hope that maroon will make Russian team more recognizable, pointing that a number of teams use red as a main home color.

Defensive midfielder

In both games Igor Denisov (24 years old) was used as a defensive midfielder.

Under Hiddink Russian team usually played without a clear defensive midfielder. Sergei Semak, Igor Semshov and Konstantin Zyryanov, the players who adopted this position in various games, all prefer to play in an attacking style.

Igor Denisov is not a sophisticated defensive midfielder, but both Dick Advocaat (Zenit Saint Petersburg) and Guus Hiddink are trying to use him this way. In Zenit Denisov might replace Anatoliy Tymoschuk, if Tymoschuk moves to Bayern Munich this summer.

Denisov refused to join Russian national squad for Euro 2008. Reportedly, he found it humiliating not being included in the preliminary national squad list, which was revealed on May the 14th. Hiddink decided to include Denisov in the preliminary list on the 15th of May, the day after Zenit lifted UEFA Cup.