I really like Russia!
Kaloyan and I arrived in Moscow last Sunday and went straight away to watch Russia vs. Ireland (3:0).
Russia have some very good young players and are in a position to make vast improvements in the next 3 years.
It would not surprise me if Russia becomes a top 5 team in the world soon and stay there for a long time.
The resources are here. The Russian FA is investing in womens’ football infrastructure, and the standard of women’s football league is high.
My team Zvezda-2005 is located in Perm, which is located about 1,000 km east of Moscow. Weather is cold, and we had about an inch of snow in Perm, but our stadium has a heated artificial surface so training is no problem.
On Thursday, my team Zvezda-2005 played against Ryazan-VDV and won 3:2, but we made it difficult on ourselves.
Zvezda and Russia defender Ksenia Tsybutovich
Went down 2:0 inside the 10 minutes but really got hold of the game after the first 15 and were in control from then on.
My Russia WNT striker Kurochkina scored two well-taken goals, and Russia WNT defender Tsybutovitch added a PK to give us the win.
After the game I met with Zvezda’s Fan Club members who presented me with a large banner. The fans are fantastic, very passionate and dedicated to the club. Last night I even saw them at our reserve team’s game.
I very much enjoy coaching in a different football and cultural environment, and this represents an opportunity for growth.
Tuesday we leave for Oslo, Norway where we will play on Wednesday afternoon against Norwegian champions Røa. They will be a difficult challenge as they have 6-7 very experienced players. I am looking forward to getting my first taste of the UEFA Women’s Champions League football.
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