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Karpin quits Russia coach Gazzayev names squad to face AlbaniaPosted: Monday March 17, 2003 7:45 PMMOSCOW (Reuters) -- Russia coach Valery Gazzayev has left veteran midfielder Valery Karpin and teenage striker Dmitry Sychev out of his 22-man squad, announced on Monday, for this month's Euro 2004 Group 10 away qualifier against Albania. Gazzayev said Real Sociedad's Karpin had asked not to be included for the March 29 game in Tirana, while surprisingly dropping Olympique Marseille's Sychev. Karpin has been in impressive form this season, playing a key role for the Spanish title contenders, but local media have speculated he is planning to retire from international football. He was recalled to the national team for a four-nation tournament in Cyprus last month for the first time since last June following Russia's dismal exit from the 2002 World Cup finals. Sychev, voted Russia's best player at the World Cup, was also recalled last month after serving a four-month ban for walking out on his former club Spartak Moscow. The 19-year-old has quickly regained his scoring touch for the French first division club, so his omission from this squad had raised a few eyebrows. Instead, Gazzayev named two newcomers, Zenit St Petersburg midfielder Konstantin Konoplyov and CSKA Moscow defender Vasily Berezutsky. Gazzayev now has eight players, including Berezutsky's twin brother Alexei, from his army club CSKA in the national team. Russia, who won both of their opening Euro 2004 qualifiers, including beating Albania 4-1 in Volgograd last October, trail Group 10 leaders Switzerland by a point but have a game in hand. Albania have just a point from two matches after holding the Swiss to a surprise 1-1 draw in Tirana last October. Squad: Goalkeepers: Sergei Ovchinnikov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Veniamin Mandrykin (CSKA Moscow), Valery Chizhov (Saturn Ramenskoye) Defenders: Viktor Onopko (Rayo Vallecano), Andrei Solomatin, Alexei Berezutsky, Vasily Berezutsky (all CSKA Moscow), Sergei Ignashevich, Gennady Nizhegorodov (both Lokomotiv Moscow), Alexander Tochilin (Dynamo Moscow) Midfielders: Sergei Semak, Rolan Gusev, Igor Yanovsky (all CSKA Moscow), Alexei Smertin (Girondins Bordeaux), Dmitry Khokhlov (Real Sociedad), Dmitry Loskov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Andrei Karayka (Krylya Sovietov Samara), Konstantin Konoplyov (Zenit St Petersburg) Forwards: Vladimir Beschastnykh (Fenerbahce), Denis Popov (CSKA Moscow), Alexander Kerzhakov (Zenit St Petersburg), Ruslan Pimenov (Lokomotiv Moscow). Tired Karpin quitting international gameMOSCOW (Reuters) -- Real Sociedad's Russian midfielder Valery Karpin is retiring from international football, he said on Monday. "The time has come for me to end my international career," Karpin told Reuters in a telephone interview from the Basque city of San Sebastian. "It's a final decision. Believe me, I have thought long and hard before making it." He was a surprise omission from the Russian squad, named by coach Valery Gazzayev earlier in the day, for this month's Euro 2004 Group 10 away qualifier against Albania. Gazzayev told a news conference that Karpin had asked not to be included for the March 29 game in Tirana, calling it "a great loss for the national team." The Estonian-born winger, who turned 34 last month, has been in impressive form this season, playing a key role for the Spanish title contenders. But he said that age and past disappointments by the Russian national team have been the main factors in his decision to quit the international game. Karpin was heavily criticized in the local media along with other veteran national team players following Russia's dismal showing at last year's World Cup finals. Bad memories "Yes, I've been playing well this season, but no one really knows what it takes to play well on that level, how hard it is and what sacrifices you have to make to stay there," he said. "Of course, last year's disappointment at the World Cup has also played a big role in my decision. And not only last year. I also had bad memories from the 1994 World Cup in America and the 1996 European championship in England." The Russians, considered one of the stronger sides in 1994 and again in 1996, were hit by low morale and internal squabbles and failed to advance past the first round on both occasions. "If we qualify for the [Euro 2004] finals in Portugal, it seems a very long time from now, so no one knows what will happen then," said Karpin, who won 72 caps for Russia. "My contract with the club ends in the summer of 2004 and I may even decide to retire from football altogether by then." Karpin said he was very thankful to Gazzayev for recalling him to the national team for a four-nation tournament in Cyprus for the first time since last June. "The coach tried to convince me to reconsider my decision to retire when we talked on the phone, but in the end he understood my point," Karpin said. "He then offered me to have a farewell match in my honor when we play Switzerland in Moscow in September, which was very nice of him," the player added. "It may very well be the decisive [Group 10] qualifier for us, so I'll have a chance to go out on a high note. It would be really nice to finish my international career that way." Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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