Translated material
Chronicle
The Russian national team in the new FIFA rankings has risen from 12th place to 9th position. This is the most significant change in the first lines of the International Football Federation rating list, which is still headed by the European champion Spanish team.
Meanwhile, the Russian team, before the important match of the European Championship qualifying round with the German team (3rd place in the FIFA rankings), suffers one loss after another. From the initial list of players called by Guus Hiddink to the training camp, three have already dropped out - Dynamo defender Denis Kolodin, Tottenham forward Roman Pavlyuchenko, Lokomotiv midfielder Dmitry Torbinsky. The participation in the game with the European vice-champions of Zenit striker Pavel Pogrebnyak, who missed his club’s last meeting in the national championship, is questionable. In exchange for the two injured players, the national team's coaching staff called up young midfielder Denis Glushakov and striker Dmitry Sychev from Lokomotiv to the national team.
Today the Russian team leaves for Germany and will play a match in Dortmund on October 11. Returning to Moscow the next day, Guus Hiddink’s team will continue preparing for the next qualifying match with the Finnish national team (43rd place in the FIFA rating list), which will take place on October 15 at the Lokomotiv stadium.
Khabibullin remains a “hawk”
Before the start of the new season in the National Hockey League (regular season matches in North America began last night), the clubs finally decided on their team compositions.
Russian goalkeeper Nikolai Khabibullin, who was put up for the waiver draft by Chicago, remains on the team. There were no applicants for the goalkeeper with a salary of $6.75 million a year either in the NHL or in our KHL, where, according to some forecasts, 35-year-old Khabibullin could go, and the management of the “hawks” came to terms with the idea that the team there will be two equal goalkeepers. Cristobal Hue will compete with the Russian, who, in desperation to be exchanged to another team, was initially planned to be sent to a farm club. In turn, Chicago sent the third goalkeeper, Antti Niemi, to Rockford.
“Chicago’s goal will be defended by the best goalkeeper available. Khabibullin knows this,” said Chicago general manager Dale Tallon.
The youth team reached the elite
The Russian national team will also take part in the elite qualifying round of the European Football Championship among youth teams (under 19 years old). Andrei Talalaev's team won the qualifying tournament, which took place in Moldova. With the same score - 2:0 - victories were won over the host teams of the qualifying round and Latvia. In the decisive match, the Russian team beat Italy - 1:0. The elite qualifying round will take place next year, and based on its results, the teams for the final tournament will be determined.