Coach Dick Advocaat thinks Russia's opener against the Czech Republic will be their most important game in the group stage of Euro 2012, he said Thursday.
Russia will face the Czechs on the opening day of the tournament on June 8, before group stage games against co-hosts Poland and then Greece.
"Our first game is the most important thing, that is the game against the Czech Republic," said Advocaat, when asked whether he feared playing Poland on home soil.
"With all respect to the Polish team, they are a good side."
Advocaat, 64, will leave Russia after the tournament to rejoin his former club PSV Eindhoven, and said there he is no chance he will reconsider.
When asked whether he would stay with Russia if the country's football officials bought out his PSV contract after Euro 2012, he said "No."
Advocaat won the Dutch title with PSV in 1996 before winning two Scottish titles with Rangers.
Before taking the Russia job, he was coach of Zenit St. Petersburg, where he won the 2007 Russian championship and beat Rangers to win the UEFA Cup in 2008.
