Russia's Rising Star

Not even Andrei Arshavin knows where he'll be playing his club football in September.

During the course of a major tournament, players' and coaches' stars rise and fall on the world stage. In Euro 2008 no star has reached such meteroic heights as Russia's brilliant playmaker Andrei Arshavin. Though he missed the first two matches because of a red card in Russia's last meaningless qualifier against Andorra, he entered the tournament against Sweden as a man possessed, immediately bringing zest and verve into the Russian attack. His virtuoso performance against highly-fancied Holland is already being trumpeted as an historic coming-out party. In the days since, the media have eagerly embraced the story of the 'unknown' Russian footballer who has set Europe's biggest football competition on fire.

A subplot to the unfolding drama is the question of how a player with this much talent has flown so far below the radar. It's not as if he's been hiding. Playing for Zenit St. Petersburg, Arshavin has been the biggest name in Russian football for the last three seasons. In 2006 Arshavin won Russian Player of the year for his versatility in playing as a winger, playmaker and as a striker. In 2007 he led Zenit to the Russian title and followed it up in 2008 by captaining the side to a decisive UEFA Cup title. The fact that he is only now getting the attention of world football speaks volumes about the way the Russian league is viewed in comparison to the traditional power leagues of Europe: England, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, and Holland. Euro 2008 may prove to be the opening salvo of a Russian football renaissance.

Now that Arshavin's the breakout star of Euro 2008, he has all the major clubs of Europe competing for his services. Before the tournament started he was linked to Arsenal, but subsequent to his performance against the Dutch there have been rumors of the four big clubs in England as well as both Milan teams pursuing him. As more attention was paid to him by the media, word got out from the head of Russia's Football federation that Arshavin is a big Barcelona fan and would choose to play for the blaugrana above any club in Europe. The following day, Arshavin himself said that he has followed Barça since he was a young boy and that playing at the Camp Nou has been a lifelong dream he never hoped to realize.

Today Arshavin stands on the threshold of something potentially momentous. The amount of pressure and attention on him for this semifinal match against Spain is staggering in terms of the impact for his country and for him personally.

Count me as one culé who wishes him luck and hopes that he will step in for the departing Deco and become a influencial piece of Pep Guardiola's new Barça project.