Our spirit beats your wealth, says Russian

Hiddink's players have no sympathy for the team they beat 2-1 in Moscow last month.

Centre forward Alexander Kerzhakov said last night: 'England have a team of big stars who earn an awful lot of money from playing and from their private deals.

'But Russia have a compact group who don't have anywhere near as much money but with far more hard workers on the field.

'That is why we are in this strong position in the group and why England have been left just hoping. I don't think England ever really believed they could lose to us when they came to Moscow. They didn't play with much confidence but I still don't think they had considered the possibility of defeat.

'At the end they were shocked and upset. I remember seeing faces of players like Rooney, Robinson and Lampard. They were so shocked their eyes were almost closed.

'I understand that a Euro 2008 finals without players like Gerrard, Rooney or Owen would be strange but England have not performed on the field. It is not always the superstars who win the matches.'

Russia's players earn only a fraction of the £100,000 weekly deals enjoyed by the likes of Rio Ferdinand and captain John Terry but they have recovered well from a 3-0 defeat at Wembley in September that seemed to put England in position to qualify with group leaders Croatia.

Russia's second-half recovery from a 1-0 deficit in Moscow turned the group on its head and now England are relying on Israel to add another twist to the tale on Saturday night.

'I think we deserve to be in the finals,' added Kerzhakov, who plays in Spain for Sevilla. 'During this group we have had an excellent rhythm. We only have lost one match — against England — and this sums up our consistency.

'Against England we have played totally without fear. The same can not be said of the English.

'When we were one down at the end of the first half many people believed that the story was over.

'But our character is special and during the second half only one team deserved to win — Russia.'

Hiddink's Russian players have been training in the warm weather of Cyprus this week and will arrive in Tel Aviv tomorrow.

Temperatures in the Israeli city are expected to be in the high 20s, far removed from the Arctic conditions of the game against England in Moscow.

It is the atmosphere surrounding the game that may trouble the Russians the most, however. In Tel Aviv the talk is of a possible 'deal' between Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and friends at the Israeli FA to ensure progress for the Eastern Europeans. Needless to say, suggestions of a stitch-up are vigorously denied.

Kerzhakov added: 'Look, this will be a hard game and I am sure nothing will be made easy for us.

'Yes, Israel are out of the race for qualification but this match is still very important for their image and I am sure that we are about to meet a team of players that are preparing to fight. I don't know anything about Abramovich, other than that he is a Russian and he will therefore want us qualify for the finals.

'I must say that I do have a theory that I believe in. When a team with everything to play for faces one that cannot qualify, then the first team usually wins. I want to show this theory to be true this Saturday.

'The work Hiddink has done with us from a psychological perspective has been very important. The defeat at Wembley affected us badly but the coach worked hard on our recuperation and that was key to us then winning in Moscow.'

Israel midfielder Tamir Cohen last night dismissed suggestions that his compatriots would like England to qualify ahead of Russia.

The 23-year-old son of former Liverpool full-back Avi said: 'My dad played for Liverpool and had a good career there. He loves England and Liverpool but I am his son and I play for myself and not for Avi Cohen.

'All Israeli players want to do well for themselves and for their careers. But we don't qualify — whether it's England or Russsia, it really doesn't matter to us.'