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Greeks sent the Russian national team home. Lithuanian opponents reached the quarterfinals of "Euro 2012" in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, sensationally beating the Russians who had already declared themselves as favorites.
The Russians did not hide the fact that they came to "Euro 2012" again to conquer Europe.
During the national holiday, the streets of Warsaw were filled with a crowd of up to 20,000 Russian national team fans. At the stadium, they would unfurl a huge flag with a threatening imperial fist during each match.
Olando Dicko Advocaat's team had not lost in 16 consecutive matches before facing the Greeks.
For the Russian national team fans who constantly fed themselves with the myths of greatness and believed in it, it was not easy to reconcile with reality. After the match with the Greeks, they turned their anger even towards their own players.
"A few hours after the match, I became an accidental witness of indecent scenes at the team's hotel. Drunk, rude, and especially wealthy supporters (others cannot afford to stay in this hotel where a room costs about 600 euros per night) directly insulted and humiliated the players," said a correspondent from "Soviet Sport" in Warsaw.
"The elite status of these guests seemed so high (one of them boasted of being a member of the State Duma) that even representatives of the Russian Football Federation security could do nothing. Therefore, footballers Andrei Arshavin and Roman Sharonov had to defend their honor and dignity. It was close to turning into a fight," it continued.
"The fact that we did not live up to your hopes is your own problem," the team captain Arshavin explained after the incident.
"The dead team," summed up the newspaper "Soviet Sport". "Our team did not make it to the quarterfinals from the weakest group. This is a normal result. Our team. A team that played within its capabilities," it concluded.
Advertisement The whole of Russia immediately found its scapegoat for failure. As usual in this country, the blame fell on the foreigner - the team's coach D. Advocaat, who had already flown back home separately from the Russian team from Warsaw.
"The Dutchman flew away, boasting about himself," openly mocked popular Russian television football commentator Vasily Utkin. "At the same time, there were two matches going on, where the red team played against the white team, and the result was the same in both matches (Russia - Greece 0:1, Poland - Czech Republic 0:1).
The only difference was that in our matches, you could constantly see a little self-satisfied Dutchman who nervously pulled up his pants. If you don't understand what I'm talking about, thank God, because you won't see him anymore.
He ruined his job and, as is typical for Dutchmen, flew away, boasting about himself, which he openly and clearly reported," he concluded.
