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HIDDINK: HOW COULD I LEAVE OUT KERZHAKOV?
The head coach of the Russian national squad
Guus Hiddink gave an interview to Sport Express ahead of the World Cup
qualifier against Finland.
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Guus Hiddink Photo SPORT EXPRESS
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"You cannot even imagine how I missed Russia,"
began Guus Hiddink. "In the morning while going to the airport I
anticipated my meeting with the Russian capital."
"I am looking forward to seeing all my friends and those working
with me in the national squad."
"As you can see I arrived to the hotel a bit earlier than others.
But in the evening when everybody comes I will communicate with them with
pleasure."
"After London I went to Amsterdam to see my father. He was seriously
ill for several months but now fortunately is pulling through."
"He has a smile on the face and I am happy to see it. I visited him
on Tuesday."
"I am having much energy still and after London I am already fully
focused on the affairs of the Russian team."
"Recently I worked in very hard conditions. Starting from February
I had only five days off, can you imagine?"
"I get power from people I communicate with. When you really enjoy
what you are doing you never feel tired."
"Last weekend we closed the chapter of my English career very efficiently.
I think we can be glad with our results. Chelsea advanced in the overall
standings and thus secured a direct way to the Champions League.
"The club won the English Cup and I think we looked quite good in
the main European Cup."
"There are only rumors that I am going to continue my cooperation
with Chelsea. I am not having any official position in the club."
"And even if I am going to arrive to London I will do it only in
order to see the Russian players in the English Premier League."
"I know the rumors about possible transfer of Yuri Zhirkov to Chelsea
but I won't comment on this. I am here not to discuss it but to work with
the national team."
"After Kerzhakov and Aldonin were capped for the national team they
were much inspired that showed great display last weekend [the Dynamo
forward scored twice in Tomsk and Aldonin scored a Russian Cup winning
goal]."
"I am happy that the call-up to the national team added so many positive
emotions. Both these players have been showing football of a high class
and that made me invite them to the squad."
"I always follow the principle: if a player deserves a cap he will
get it. When Kerzhakov returned from Spain he was not in his best form.
And I did not invite him because of this."
"And now the forward looks fresh and plays efficiently, and can help
the national team, so how could I possibly leave him out?"
"Aldonin, Kerzhakov and Bystrov can even appear in the starting line-up
but on the other hand there are variants when they can be left on the
bench."
"I have not yet decided the starting eleven. I have several questions
that can be answered only during the training sessions."
"In particular I should see how the newly arrived will look. One
cannot forget that Torbinsky and Bilyaletdinov are sidelined because of
injures and Semak missed the Russian Cup final for the same reason. Moreover
Anyukov is suspended and that is a big loss for us."
"I know the group standings very well and realize that the draw will
guarantee a second place in the group for us and thus a play-off match."
"But we are thinking only about the victory. And we understand that
the match in Helsinki will be very difficult, they played well against
Germany that managed to tie the game with great difficult."
"I am sure the coming match is one of the key games in the current
World Cup qualifications. And we are going to Helsinki to win three points."
Sport
Express Daily, 04 June 2009
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