Russia enjoys the Hiddink revolution

If you have been watching the Euro 2008 championships, you would have noticed the Russian advance through the various stages culminating in their booking a semi-final berth. For a side that was written off not long ago, the very fact that they reached the semi-final is in itself a great achievement. The credit for this amazing turnaround goes to the Russian side and its famous coach, Guus Hiddink. For a man who is one of the most sought after coaches at this level of the game, he has proved his top label status.

Guus Hiddink knows a thing or two about making the sides advance in the stages of a championship. He has taken South Korea to the semi-finals of the world cup and Australia to the second round of the world cup. A native Dutchman, he has also coached the Dutch side in some memorable victories that include the world cup finals. And last week, when Russia and Holland faced each other, it was hard to tell what was going on through Hiddink’s mind. As he put it, he would be regarded as a traitor in his native country if Russia won. And it did. Though, in these days of competitive football, coaching is a lucrative proposition that knows no boundaries. A fact that men like Hiddink have realized to their benefit.

Before the clash with the Dutch side, Hiddink had though out a strategy that would ensure that Russia would forge ahead. As such, Russia is an emerging side and a force to reckon with, given the fact that it has the UEFA cup winners and also that six of their clubs have qualified for the premier European championship. When Hiddink was appointed to coach the Russian side, many viewed it as being short-tem in outlook which was further bolstered by his 2 Million a year salary. The striking thing that emerged is that Hiddink has embraced a surprisingly long term vision.

He has repeatedly stressed that the Russian federation or the governing body for football in Russia would well be advised to continue the momentum after Euro 2008 and use it to build the infrastructure and team for the next world cup. Though his mandate was to ensure that Russia went into the knock-out phase, Hiddink is not the one to rest on his laurels. Instead, he wants the team to emerge as one of the stronger teams in Europe.

Hiddink started with several advantages. Not only is the fact that the average age in his side is 26 but also the team is packed with several gifted players. Andrei Arshavin and the full-backs Aleksandr Anyukov and Yuri Zhirkov, and the striker Roman Pavlyuchenko have outstanding ability. Then there are the midfielders in Igor Semshov, Konstantin Zyryanov and Diniyar Bilyaletdinov who are slick ball passers. And this young team may well make it to the final and possibly the cup with some application and Hiddink’s insights.

As Hiddink says, "We have to give our young players a chance and educate them in a new, modern way. If we do that, this big country - not now, but tomorrow - will become one of the leading national teams in Europe. Responsible people must provide the next step in the development of this country's young players on the back of what the 'A' team have achieved at these finals." And it is this vision that has captured the imagination of the fans and players alike.

So, it is anybody’s guess as to where the Euro 2008 final stage is headed. But one thing is for sure, Hiddink has brought in a measure of change to the Russian side. It is now up to the players and the federation to make the best of this opportunity.

A Fitting finale to an Exciting championship

The recently concluded Euro 2008 championships in Switzerland were a resounding success by all accounts. If it was a spectator’s delight watching the scintillating games, it was an organizational and logistical success from the administrator’s point of view as well. The Swiss Defence Minister Samuel Schmid declared on Sunday that "It's been a mega event. The third-biggest sporting event in the world has been organized with no problems. In Switzerland we've had fewer traffic bottlenecks, less road congestion and even the crime rate dropped in some places."

There was also praise all round that the event has been a success in the ecological sense. In environmentally conscious Europe, these things count a lot and any event is viewed for not only the show it has to offer but the way in which it handles the sensitive environmental issues or the “green” things. Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer said,” "This was a green European Championships because much of the traffic - long distance and in the cities - was carried by public transport, The negative scenarios that had been announced by certain prophets of doom, that city centers would be destroyed, that there would be hooligans all over the place that the public parks would be ruined. All sorts of fears and anxieties had been expressed, but nothing like that happened."

Of course not everything was ideal in the sense that the weather played spoilsport more than once. There was a power cut during the Germany- Turkey semi final. And both the hosts, Switzerland and Austria were knocked out early leading to the tournament having more viewer ship out side rather than in the home countries. The interesting fact about the championship was the record audience who were glued on to their TV’s each day. And considering the fact that many people in Asia stayed up the night to watch the games is an encouraging fact for anyone who is interested in popularizing the game.

The delightful show of skill and style on display added to the charm of the tournament. And very few matches were decided on penalties leading to what many called a tournament that did not “go to the death”. Plus, the crowd behavior was good and the fan violence was absent. The very sight of over a hundred thousand Dutch fans passing peacefully through the city of Bern was a heart warming sight. And as the fans chanted, “As a finishing touch, God created the Dutch”, it was for a while a totally Dutch affair until their surprise loss in the semi-finals.
There were also some sensible refereeing decisions though the gamesmanship did not always translate into sportsmanship. As the clock ticks towards the next Euro championship in Poland and Ukraine amid concerns from critics about the viability of the games being held there, it is worth noting that UEFA is rich enough to take these countries into their sponsorship, if needed.


As the curtains came down on the Euro 2008 and it was next time whoever (depending on which side you were supporting), one could not but marvel at the Spaniards and the Germans for their incredible run throughout the tournament. If the absence of Ballack was a dampener for the Germans, the Golden Boot that went to Hernandez was more than enough to see Spain through. All in all, it was an extravaganza to remember and more so for the surprise winners Spain. The doubts on the smooth conduct of the Euro 2008 were dispelled and this meant that the game emerged stronger after the show was over and it’s over to the next edition.