UPDATE -  Zenit has rejected Barcelona’s second offer, 15 Million Euros for Arshavin.

Dutchman and Zenit St. Petersburg coach Dick Advocaat has come to terms with losing 27 year old Russian National Team star Andrei Arshavin to a big name European club.

So much so that Advocaat has told Arshavin (who’s scored 13 times in 37 appearances for Russia) that he isn’t required to train with the 2008 Uefa Cup Champions as both club and player are expected to have something sorted very soon.

“Andrei hopes to play elsewhere in Europe and something will happen this week,” he said. “He is a good player and would do well in any league in Europe but my advice to him is that it’s up to him where he goes.

“He has to do what he wants, he is the man who will be playing. It is disappointing that he is leaving but that’s the way it goes.”

Even though Arshavin scored two goals (against Sweden and Holland) at Euro 2008, I’m just wondering if his struggles against Spain in the Semi-Finals are having any effect on the big clubs decisions to drop the money Zenit is looking to collect.

image via SportReport

I love when stories come out like this after the match.

If you’ve ever been through something like that where it’s the night before the big match, once you realize you’re safe and there’s really nothing wrong, you just laugh.

It’s happened to me with alarms next to the bed (one of the more brilliant ones because it was the maid), wake up calls at 3:30am, fire alarms or where 3,000 supporters from Chile are singing below your window in Sydney the night before the Bronze Medal match.

I’m just surprised they pulled the alarm at midnight and not around 4am.

image via Edweb

Beans and I just got back from watching the Uefa Cup final at The Fox and Hounds in Studio City with Christian Miles.

Nothing like a great pint (maybe a couple) of Stella and a Scottish Premier League Cheeseburger (Turkey Burger).

If you were a Rangers fan it was a bad result, but for the Zenit fans it was a dream come true again.

Now we’ll see what happens with the celebrations in City Square.

What’s your shout?

Zenit had to beat Spartak Moscow (2-2 A), Marseille (3-3 A), Bayer Leverkusen (4-2) and Bayern Munich (5-1) to get to the final.

Rangers has gone through Panathinaikos (1-1 A), Weder Bremen (2-1), Sporting Lisbon (2-0) and Fiorentina (0-0, 4-2 pk) to get to Manchester Stadium.

Zenit will be without the top striker in the competition, Russia National team forward Pavel Pogrebnyak (10 goals in Uefa competition) due to yellow card suspension.

With the Uefa Cup Final set for tomorrow afternoon (Cali Time) in Manchester between surprise finalists Glasgow Rangers and Zenit St. Petersburg, the focus for local police is squarely on the supporters groups.

Zenit has already been charged with racially abusing Marseille players earlier in the tournament and has officially been warned by UK Sports Minister Gary Sutcliffe that abuse will be dealt with a zero tolerance policy. That policy was officially written into law Under The Football Offences Act 1991 which made racist chanting a criminal offense, punishable by 6 months in prison.

Here’s a little idea of what can possibly happen if police can’t control the situation.

And don’t forget about the 100,000+ Rangers supporters that will be making the 3 hour journey south.

image via DayLife