Russia coach Dick Advocaat said his team will start preparations for the European championships, co-hosted by Ukraine and Poland later this year, with a friendly match against Uruguay in Moscow.
The 64-year-old manager unveiled his plans for the national side, saying that Russian international players will gather at their base in Moscow on May 21, eight days after the last matchday of the Russian Premier League's season.
"During our preparations for the Euro-2012 we will play three friendly matches," Advocaat said. "We will start with a match against Uruguay on May 25 in Moscow."
On May 28, the Russian team will set up a training base in Switzerland in the suburbs of Geneva to carry out its final preparations. Advocaat said he was planning to play two more friendly matches in Switzerland.
"After coming to Switzerland, we will play two more friendlies. I think it will be enough to achieve the right rhythm ahead of the start of the tournament."
Advocaat refrained from naming his team's other opponents but said that the Russian Football Union (RFU) is currently in talks with one of the world's football leading teams about one of the friendlies in Switzerland.
On June 4 the Russian squad is scheduled to arrive in Warsaw to take up their residence in a hotel.
Russia open the Euro finals with a match against the Czech Republic on June 8 in Wroclaw, Poland. On June 12 they face the hosts Poland in Warsaw. The last Group A match Russia play against Greece on June 16 also in Warsaw.
Boasting stars including Arsenal striker Andrei Arshavin, Russia will be hoping to improve on their performance in the 2008 European championships when they reached the semi-finals.
However the current side still has to prove it has the nerve for the big occasion after failing to make the finals of the last World Cup.
Source: AFP
