Zenit left-back Domenico Criscito has implored his coach Luciano Spalletti not to take the Russia post that Dick Advocaat is vacating after Euro 2012.
Advocaat told the Russian media earlier this week that he was stepping down after the summer championships, and was later quoted in Dutch media as saying he had agreed to return to his old club PSV Eindhoven.
The news stirred up a frenzy of speculation as to who could take the reins for Russia, with Criscito's teammate Roman Shirokov leading the calls for Spalletti to step in.
"As far as I know, Spalletti has an active contract with Zenit, so how can he head the Russian national team?" the 25-year-old Italian said of his countryman.
"I want to work further at Zenit under Luciano! If you ask whether Spalletti is, in principle, able to lead the Russian team or not, then of course he could. He knows the Russian championship, and half of the Zenit team play for the national side," Criscito told RIA Novosti.
Criscito himself was last month forced to deny reports linking him with a summer move to AC Milan.
He has been at Zenit for just ten months since joining from Genoa in June, but has been heavily linked with a move to Italy after a series of strong performances.
Criscito has scored once in 27 appearances for Zenit. He has 19 caps for Italy and played at the 2010 World Cup.
On Monday, CSKA Moscow and Russia defenders Vasily Berezutsky and Sergei Ignashevich supported the next coach being a Russian, although Ignashevich said he could support a foreign coach who has worked in Russia, such as Spalletti.
