Russia’s Stanislav Cherchesov upbeat about mission to confound critics


Home coach goes into the opener against Saudi Arabia knowing his out-of-form side are under fire but is confident fans will embrace the World Cup once it starts

Stanislav Cherchesov smiled when asked by a Danish journalist whether he had a message for the Russian people on the eve of the opening match of a World Cup finals that is taking place in the largest country on the planet.

“You would be hard pushed to get around the labyrinth of the Russian soul,” the Russia coach replied. “I think half the country will find out that we have a World Cup when the whistle blows. It takes a long time for us to start driving but I think when we press the foot on the pedal, we go all the way.”

Related: Russia has 145 million people and likes football, so why are the team so poor? | Michael Yokhin

Related: Saudi Arabia World Cup 2018 team guide: tactics, key players and expert predictions

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