Russia and CSKA Moscow defender Vasily Berezutsky has said that the Russian national football team does not need foreign at the incharge of team, but rather needs a Russian to lead them. Russia national team manager Dick Advocaat announced recently that he will be stepping down from his post after the Euro 2012. This has led to intense debate regarding the successor for Dick Advocaat. Russia has had a number of foreign coaches in the past including Guus Hiddink, who did a spectacular job with Russia. However, in order to make the national team even better, Berezutsky reckons that a Russian should be the next manager of the national team.

Dick Advocaat has been the manager of the Russian national football team for just over two years now. He said on Monday that he will step down from his post following the Euro 2012. Yuri Syomin was the last Russian to lead the national team. He did so prior to the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Russia failed to qualify for the World Cup, and since then, the country has been adopting the policy of recruiting foreign managers. Berezutsky also expressed his surprise at the decision by Dick Advocaat to step down from his post after the Euro 2012 because he expected him to carry on for much longer.

“Regarding our future, I’m sure that a Russian coach should work with the Russian national team. The news that Advocaat will leave the national team after the Euros is obviously very unexpected. It’s pointless to talk about the reasons why at the moment because that’s the prerogative of only Advocaat and Sergei Fursenko,” Berezutsky said following the news that Advocaat will step down from his post. Russian striker Pavlyuchenko also expressed his surprise at the decision by the national team manager.