Rubin braced for Barcelona test

Rubin players celebrate their 2-1 win over Barcelona at the Nou Camp

By Rafael Saakov
BBC Russian Service in Kazan

Less than 90 minutes from Moscow by plane and more than five hours from Barcelona and you are in Kazan - the most easterly point of this season's Champions League map.

On Wednesday, two weeks after a remarkable 2-1 win in Catalonia, Russian champions Rubin Kazan will attempt to shock holders Barca for the second time in a row.

That win has gone down as one of the greatest moments in Russian football history, alongside Zenit St Petersburg's and CSKA Moscow's Uefa Cup victories as well as Zenit's win over Manchester United in the 2008 Uefa Super Cup.

A day after the Barcelona victory, Kazan's mayor Ilsur Metshin opened a new street in the city centre with more than hundred weeping willows, lime trees and rowan-trees and proposed calling it Rubin's Alley.

Locals are unlikely to raise any objection - people in Kazan simply live and breathe sport and idolize their sportsmen.

Cristian Ansaldi and Rafal Murawski challenge Barcelona's Daniel Alves

"I'm proud of Rubin and happy that our players won in Spain," said Kazan university student Luciya.

"However I think that this is only the beginning and they will get through and continue to get such great results.

"I was only surprised that there were no big celebrations in Kazan after the match at the Nou Camp."

Ahead of Wednesday's game, people on the streets are very cautious about the meeting Barcelona with most thinking that a draw would be the best result to keep alive Rubin's hopes of advancing to the last 16.

But they also think that Kazan's sub-zero temperatures - the temperature is likely to be around -7C - could be to Rubin's advantage.

If you would have told me 20 years ago that I would be captain of a club team in Russia I would have laughed, US volleyball player Lloy Ball

Not surprisingly Rubin's 30,000-capacity Central Stadium is set for a full house.

With three matches to go in the Russian league, Rubin are one point ahead of Spartak Moscow and are on course to become the first non-Moscow club to retain their title.

But an even tougher task for Rubin will be to keep their star players for next season.

Argentine striker Alejandro Dominguez has said he wants to move away after almost six years in Russia and there has already been interest in the Buenos Aires-born player from other European clubs.

His fellow countryman Cristian Ansaldi has also courted the interest of Spanish teams.

The wing-back has been called up for the national team for the first time by coach Diego Maradona for the forthcoming friendly against European champions Spain.

Another player to catch the eye has been Alexander Ryazantsev, who scored Rubin's first goal at the Nou Camp and has already had some offers from other Russian teams.

Rubin coach Kurban Berdyev celebrates a shock win in the Nou Camp

"I have a new contract from Rubin and I'll make a decision after the end of the championship," Ryazantsev told the BBC on Tuesday.

"We wait to see a different Barcelona than we faced two weeks ago and it should be interesting. Finally the top clubs are preparing seriously to meet us.

"They even didn't know about us before the draw and might not have concentrated enough playing against us.

"But we've shown them what we can do especially after the way we gained experience in the first two games against Dynamo Kiev and Inter."

It is not only football that the city of Kazan is doing well at, with club champions in hockey and volleyball - HC Ak Bars and VC Zenit-Kazan - while their basketball team Uniks are the Russian Cup holders.

Even Moscow cannot boast of such sporting success.

Former Rubin director Ilgiz Fahriyev, who is the head of the Kazan city sporting committee, believes Tatarstan president Mintimer Shaymiev has played a part in Kazan's sporting achievements.

"He is interested in every little problem and always sets the highest standards," said Fahriyev. "Especially the recruitment of club managers like Rubin's Kurban Berdyev, Zinetula Bilyaletdinov at Ak Bars and Vladimir Alekno at Zenit."

Belarusian Alekno, a former coach of Russia's volleyball team, keeps in touch with his hockey and football coaching counterparts, though the calendar does not give them much time to meet one another.

Ball won a gold medal with the US at the 2008 Olympics

"Last year I watched every Ak Bars match in the play-offs," said Alekno. "This is an ambitious republic. Everything is well organized."

Over the last decade Kazan has opened two new stadiums, the 9,000-capacity Tatneft-Arena for the hockey team and a 7,000-capacity basketball hall where UNIKS and Zenit play.

One of Zenit's key players is Lloy Ball - the 2008 Olympic champion with the US national team - who is in his second year as team captain.

"If you would have told me 20 years ago that I would be captain of a club team in Russia I would have laughed," said Ball.

606: DEBATE Can Rubin shock Barcelona for a second time

"Its great honour for an American to have won two Russian championships," added Ball, who won the Champions League with Zenit two years ago and is now playing in the World club championship in Qatar.

"When I first made my decision to come here four years ago I wasn't nervous, but I didn't know what kind of sport culture they had here in Russia or in Kazan.

"And it was a super surprise - people follow our sport, we always have full arena when we play. And of course we have great organization and a great sponsor.

"Especially now in a time of an economic crisis to know that you've a sponsor gives the players peace of mind."