But the Dutch specialist, who brought the St. Pete team to wins in the Russian league and UEFA Cup, says there are still a lot of things that need improvement.

“The problem with the Russian championship is not in the level of teams. The big problem lies in the fields and stadiums. And this hampers the development of football in the country. New stadiums should be built,” he explained.

Advocaat considers this the main reason for top class European footballers not to be willing to come and play for Russia, where the salaries are among the highest in Europe.

Dick Advocaat is in his last season with Zenit, and he’s already signed a contract with the Belgian national team, whom he joins in January, 2010.

The Saint Petersburg team now sit 7th in the Russia’s Premier League, but just 4 points behind leaders FC Moscow. And the coach believes their chances of grabbing the title are “more than realistic”.