Rubin rise continues apace

Few people would have heard of Rubin Kazan until roughly this time last year when they picked up their first ever Russian Championship title in their 50th anniversary year. Now, having travelled to the Nou Camp to pull off one of the shock results in Champions League history, the Russian side have the eyes of the world upon them.

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Kurban Berdyev celebrates the win over Barcelona at the Nou Camp.

Only a Russian top-flight club since 2003, the Tatarstan-based side impressed during their first few seasons in the league and have really come to prominence under the leadership of Kurban Berdyev - a man described by the Guardian's Jonathan Wilson as a "Turkmenistani Harry Redknapp".

A deeply religious man, Berdyev can be seen prowling the touchline clasping his prayer beads in his hands but, while his tactics have been the subject of analysis in the media, it is his impact on his players that has received the most attention. Without the star names of their rivals, Rubin have elevated themselves to the position of regular title challengers on the domestic front - ending years of domination from the Moscow clubs - and are also making waves in the European scene too.

Much of this is down to the wily transfer policy of Berdyev but, while some of the other Russian clubs - like CSKA - have experimented with foreign managers, Rubin have stuck by their man since 2001, when they were playing in the second tier.

On course to retain their Russian title this year, Rubin's rise really is fairytale stuff. Winning each of their last three games, they have three games left to make history and have shown an ability to come back from adversity after they went five games without a win before their recent run of good form.

Rumours of match-fixing dogged their title-winning campaign of 2008, but this season they have shown themselves to be whiter than white. The unexpected nature of their rise, coupled with the murky background that haunts Russian football and all that that entails, probably contributed somewhat to the dark rumours, but their performances in the Champions League have now set them apart from the other minnows and given them a platform to build upon.

Rubin have made a reputation by playing a confident, counter-attacking brand of football that you would not expect from such an inexperienced side. They may defend cautiously, but Berdyev has instilled a team ethic in his side that sees them fight for each other, maintain a compact core and repel opposition attacks with tremendous organisation.

Without Aleksandr Bukharov - a tall striker usually given the responsibility to lead the line - at the Nou Camp, they also showed a willingness to keep the ball on the ground and maintain possession. While they managed just three shots on target during the historic 2-1 win, few teams can claim to have been so comfortable against such highly-respected opponents and their fearless approach won them many fans.

Breaking from the back in numbers and exploiting any lack of pace in their opponents, Rubin have an exciting attacking line-up with Argentine Alejandro Dominguez back at the club and their most expensive signing, at €8.7 million, Turkish international Gökdeniz Karadeniz, providing the creativity and finishing ability that have helped the side net 57 goals in their league campaign. Karadeniz bagged the winner in Spain, but with 15 goals in 22 games, the impact of Dominguez has been one of the key factors to their success.

''I guess that Barça would have found it easier if we'd come out to play toe-to-toe with them but it was always our intention to defend in numbers and hit on the break,'' he said after the defeat of Barcelona. ''Now we can expect a huge welcome home, not just from Rubin fans but from all Russia because this was a historic win."

Reports are that the players were not given the time to celebrate their win as they had other things to focus on. Indeed, that would ring true, as Berdyev remains grounded. His tactics have worked thus far, but Group F is a tight affair and the boss is focused on the next task ahead.

''Everybody is happy and my phone is ringing off the hook. Friends from Central Asia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan were calling me,'' he told Sport Express. ''I did not celebrate the victory. The emotions have already faded away.''

Elsewhere on the pitch, the club no longer rely on such old warhorses as Savo Milosevic and Serhiy Rebrov (who played their part in winning the title last year) but have a new breed of players including 23-year-old Aleksandr Ryazantsev and 24-year-old Bukharov who have stepped up to the task of filling their boots. As with all successful teams though, they rely heavily on an experienced member of the side, 33-year-old Sergei Semak, to strengthen the core of the midfield.

Having asserted his belief that ''miracles happen'' after the first round of games, Semak encapsulated the feelings of most of the football world when he expressed his shock at the current situation, but he still believes that qualification is possible; something that would represent one of the biggest surprises in living memory.

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Sergei Semak is a key part of Rubin's side.

"Most thought the top two places were already booked [by Barcelona and Inter Milan], but the group turned out to be very interesting and every team has a chance of going through,'' he told UEFA.com. ''If we have luck on our side, we can make it. This is a big test for us, but the way to develop is to be able to play at this level every year."

More than anything, Rubin's rise has shown that the Champions League really is an open competition and, despite the talents of the established order, there are always possible shocks on the cards when the minnows are given their chance to shine.

Rubin have blazed a trail for other teams to challenge clubs in the domestic competition in Russia and, led by Berdyev, now have the confidence and talent to make a mark in arguably the world's best club competition. Furthermore, now that they are a household name in Europe, they will have the backing of every neutral fan in the game and few would bet against them causing one or two more problems for the established order before the group stages are over.