The Russian national team manager Fabio Capello has stated that he has not decided not to call up the Arsenal winger Andrei Arshavin because he is not in the right frame of mind. The former Zenit St Petersburg winger is regarded as one of the best talents in Russian football.
However, he has barely featured for the national team since the Russian FA appointed the former England manager Fabio Capello as the manager of the national team. Capello has said that he has not selected Arshavin due to a personal grudge, but has not selected the player because he is not in the right frame of mind to be selected.
The former Real Madrid and AC Milan manager has said that he decided to go to London in order to discuss the future of the player with the national team. However, it enabled him too quickly learn that he was not mentally ready to play in the international team. Arshavin has barely featured for his club team Arsenal in the last few years, which is astonishing given that he was once the club record signing at £ 15 million. He is widely expected to leave Arsenal in the January transfer window having made just six substitute appearances so far this campaign.
"Arshavin is a great talent but he has started to fade. I went to see him in London but unfortunately I have to tell you that he is no longer a player that he was used to be and I cannot call a player to the national team unless he is beneficial to the team. I would be a fool if do not play Arshavin if he is in perfect shape or state of mind. Some people think that I removed him probably because of some personal reasons but the thing is that he is not performing," said Capello.