The Russian national team manager Dick Advocaat has said that Russia can certainly be the dark horses of the Euro 2012. The team was definitely one of the outstanding performers and the surprise package of the Euro 2008. They made it into the finals of the competition only to beaten by eventual winners Spain. Due to the fact that a number of favourite teams like Germany, Netherlands, and Portugal have all been drawn in one single group, it provides Russia with a great opportunity to win the tournament according to the manager, who will be stepping down from his post at the end of this European Championship.

Dick Advocaat will be taking charge of PSV Eindhoven after the end of the tournament. He has said that he has set the team a target of making it into the final of the tournament, which is certainly a tall order considering the favourites like Spain, Italy, and France. Dick Advocaat recalled the Euro 2004 in order to show that it is necessarily not the case that a favourite team will win the competition. Greece managed to stun the world by winning the European 2004 against all the odds. Dick Advocaat reckons that Russia can do the same this time around.

“Our aim is to be in the final. I had recently signed a contract with PSV but right now I’m only thinking of my job with Russia. When people think of Euro favourites they usually name Germany, Netherlands and Spain. But don’t count out Russia. If we play to our full potential, we could surprise a few people. I would call us a dark horse of the tournament. If you recall Euro 2004, nobody expected Greece (to win) it,” Dick Advocaat said in a press conference given on Monday.