Russia squad info

Three years on from hosting a World Cup where the national team reached the quarter-finals for the first time since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia head into the Euros this summer seeking to cause a few upsets against the bigger boys of European football. 

 Historically Russia have fared badly at the Euros, but they did reach the semi-finals back in 2008. Way back in the days of the Soviet Union the team won the inaugural 1960 European tournament – although only four sides took part. They lost the 1988 final to Netherlands in Munich, just a year before the collapse of the Berlin Wall.    

Russia enters one of the most straightforward groups at the Euros alongside the world’s top-ranked nation Belgium, Denmark and Euros debutants Finland. Group B may slip under the radar for many Euros betting fans, but it could produce a team that reaches the final. While Belgium is ripe for winning their first international tournament, Denmark are considered underdogs and Russia cannot be discounted. 

 In their qualifying group for the Euro Russia finished second to Belgium and won all but two games during that 10-match campaign. Artem Dzyuba was top scorer in qualifying Group I with nine goals – three of which came against third-placed Scotland. 

 As captain, Dzyuba leads from the front and is one of just two Russians in the squad to have earned over 50 caps. The other is Yuri Zhirkov, who at 37 is expected to play his last international tournament here. The majority of the national team competes in the Russian Premier League, yet the likes of Aleksei Miranchuk, Aleksandr Golovin and Fyodor Kudryashov play their club game on the continent.  

Head coach Stanislav Cherchesov led Russia into the World Cup three years ago and favours a rigid 4-3-3 formation. Veteran Dzyuba leads the forward line with Golovin and Aleksei Ionov off the main man. Denis Cheryshev offers an attacking threat from midfield, but the boss is somewhat light on offensive players – and this could be a big issue for the Russia Euro group prospects. 

Thankfully for Cherchesov Russia have a slight advantage over their group opponents in that two of their games will be staged in St Petersburg. Russia welcomes both Belgium and Finland to the Krestovsky Stadium on 12 and 16 June respectively, before flying to Copenhagen for a final Group B clash with Denmark. Cherchesov will expect his team to battle for second spot in the group behind Belgium. That would likely trigger a round-of-16 tie with Wales or Turkey in Amsterdam.

GOALKEEPERS

DEFENDERS

MIDFIELDERS

FORWARDS