Arshavin: Euro 2012 semis? nothing's impossible

Russia captain Andrei Arshavin sees no reason why his team cannot repeat the success of Euro 2008 in Poland and Ukraine next month. Arshavin pulled the strings as Guus Hiddink's team of creative and industrious players shocked everyone with a run to the semifinals that saw them take out the Netherlands 3-1 in the quarterfinal four years ago. They lost to eventual champions Spain 3-0 in the semifinals, but the performances put Russian footballers on the map, leading to the transfer of three core players, Arshavin included, to the English Premier League. When it was put to the diminutive midfielder that Russians might expect nothing less than a repeat of that achievement this time around, he told Total Football: "I don't see anything impossible in it." "We are training, working, getting tuned up. I've been awaiting the start of the finals since we qualified," said the 30-year-old Arsenal man, currently on loan at Russian champions Zenit St. Petersburg. But Russia coach Dick Advocaat has faced criticism for refusing to dispense with that 2008 generation in this year's squad. Only five members of his 26-man preliminary squad are under 25, compared with eight players over 30, including Rubin Kazan’s 35-year-old defender Roman Sharonov, who last played for Russia in 2004. Arshavin was philosophical. "We have an experienced team. Some footballers will quit after the European championships, some will stay." He lamented having to play all three group games in Poland; against the co-hosts, Greece and Czech Republic, when a more favorable draw could have seen the team based in Ukraine, where Russian fans don't need visas. "Of course, I would have liked our team to play in Ukraine," he said. "But not out of political concerns, simply because our supporters would find it much easier to get there compared with Poland. We would have had huge support," he said. On the other hand, Russia coped admirably when their fans were outnumbered "1,000 to one" in the 3-1 extra-time win over the Netherlands in the Euro 2008 quarterfinal, he said. Arshavin has 17 goals in 68 games for Russia. Euro 2012 starts June 8 with Poland against Greece in Warsaw. Russia's first game is later that day against the Czech Republic in Wroclaw. Russia host Uruguay on Friday in Moscow in the first of three warm-up games, going on to play Lithuania on May 29 and Italy on June 1.