Talking about Russia’s performance in the World Cup 2010 qualifiers, Arshavin said he and his partners “made a step back in comparison with Euro 2008. To be more precise, we returned to our usual level.”

Guus Hiddink’s men earned a place in the playoffs, finishing second in their group behind Germany, failing to grab a single point in two matches against their main rivals.

“I am sure that our players have class. But in order to show super football we definitely need to catch the right mood. If it happens we can beat absolutely anybody. We have very strong team coach and a great atmosphere inside the team. Perhaps, though, there is a discrepancy to the fact that the coach’s class is higher than the class of players, but it should not be a hindrance,” the 28-year-old said

“Now we need to catch the right mood for the two remaining [playoff] games, in order not to shatter all the previous achievements of our team,” he added.

Russia is seeded ahead of the playoffs draw, with their possible rivals being Slovenia, Ireland, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ukraine.

Arshavin also commented on the results of the European World Cup qualifying campaign in general.

“For me the biggest sensation is the failure of the Croats, who couldn’t even grab the second spot in their group. The Portuguese were a surprise for a long time, but in the end it all turned out well for them. On the other hand, the first places of Slovakia and Denmark were also unexpected,” he said.