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| Wednesday 25 June, 2008 |
| Blog: Andrei the Giant |
| He may have only played two games, but Richard Godden believes Andrei Arshavin has been the star of Euro 2008 |
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When Zinedine Zidane singles out a player for praise, he must be on the verge of something special. “What he does at this stage is more difficult than at the World Cup because it's the first big tournament he has played in,” revealed the former Juventus hero. “I was very happy to see that type of football being played - he has great feet.” The player in question is, of course, Russia's Andrei Arshavin, who Zidane refers to as 'the No 10' as he is unable to pronounce his name.
Pre-tournament, many of you may have recognised Arshavin as the architect of Zenit St Petersburg's remarkable UEFA Cup triumph last season. But it looked unlikely that he would have much of an impact in Austria and Switzerland due to a two-match ban carried over from qualifying. Without him, the Red Army looked lost against Spain and then improved just enough to pick up a win over holders Greece to set up what was effectively a quarter-final play-off with Sweden.
From the first minute Russia looked like a totally different team. With Arshavin pulling the strings they comfortably overcame the spirited Scandinavians and the 27-year-old even popped up with the second goal. But he saved his best for Holland, a side many people considered to be the tournament favourites after the manner in which they eased through the so-called Group of Death.
“He's very quick, he has an excellent shot on both legs and besides scoring he can also provide for other players,” says Zenit Coach Dick Advocaat of his star playmaker. All three traits came into play against the Dutch, as he had a hand in all of Russia's goals, two of which came in extra-time. It was a display which confirmed to the rest of the continent that he is an immensely talented player at the top of his game.
Unfortunately for lovers of Italian football, it's unlikely that we'll get to see Arshavin strutting his stuff in Serie A. Although I'm sure he is just the player Inter need to bridge the gap between midfield and attack, Advocaat has revealed that Arshavin's preference is for a move to either Spain or England. The former would probably suit his style more - considering that he would get far more time on the ball than in the Premier League - while it would also be a dream come true for the boyhood Barcelona fan to pull on the famous blue and red shirt in La Liga.
But he has a semi-final clash with Spain to look forward to first. Gigi Buffon might have been the supreme save-maker, Michael Ballack the inspirational leader and David Villa the goal king, but nobody has captured the imagination of Euro 2008 viewers quite like Arshavin has. And for that reason, I'm sure the Russians will have a few more fans than usual on Thursday night.
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