Russia, which hosts the USA in a friendly on Wednesday, has won all four World Cup 2014 qualifiers under new coach Fabio Capello to open up a five-point leadon Israel and Portugal, but analysts have criticized Russia’s lack of flair.
“What constitutes a spectacle is very subjective,” said Capello in an interview with the Soviet Sport daily.”And what this constitutes depends on what exactly you put into this definition.”
One of the 66-year-old Capello’s biggest concerns is the influx of foreign players in the wealthy RussianPremier League, where clubs are allowed to field a maximum of seven foreign players at any one time.
“Of course, I would have a better choice of Russian players in case the clubs have tofield five or six Russians,” he said. But he was confident the best Russians, almost all of whom play at home, would get playing time. “Foreigners can sometimes block the way to the pitch for mediocreplayers,” he said. “True talent will definitely find its way there, the foreigners will never be able to block the true talent.”