MANCHESTER, May 15 (Reuters) - UEFA Cup winners Zenit St Petersburg must hold on to their best players to make an impression in next season's Champions League, manager Dick Advocaat said.
Zenit have built on the success of winning the Russian
title last year by celebrating their first European triumph on
Wednesday after a 2-0 win over Rangers at the City of
Manchester stadium.
Zenit are backed by the seemingly limitless resources of
Russian energy giant Gazprom, but Advocaat fears they will
become victims of their own success, with Europe's top clubs
ready to prize away top assets like Russia playmaker Andrei
Arshavin.
'It will be a problem now, there is no doubt that some
players will go,' Dutchman Advocaat said.
'Then you have to start again. That's a problem when you
become successful. We must keep not only Arshavin, but other
important players.
Advocaat said the sale of Slovakia defender Martin Skrtel
was a case in point.
Skrtel, an important part of Zenit's run to the Russian
championship, joined Liverpool in January and has impressed for
the Premier League side in the second half of the season.
'Those kind of players you have to keep,' said Advocaat,
who plans to add to his squad before Zenit make their Champions
League bow in September.
'You have to try and keep this team together and buy three
or four other players to make the squad better, then you can
rotate in the different competitions,' he said.
'At the moment with Zenit it is 12, 13, 14 players who have
played in all the games.'
Holding on to Arshavin could be tricky for Zenit, with the
Russian playmaker producing another elegant performance on
Wednesday to showcase his considerable talents.
Arshavin is also an important part of the Russian national
side but he may only get the chance to play one game in Euro
2008, depending on how Guus Hiddink's side fare.
The 26-year-old was sent off in the last qualifier against
Andorra and misses the first two Group D games in the June
finals against Spain and holders Greece.
Rangers manager Walter Smith bracketed Zenit at the same
level as the sides his team had faced in the Champions League
earlier this season.
'Barcelona are excellent, but after that Zenit are on a par
with other sides we had -- Lyon and Stuttgart. They are at that
level.'
