Russian football clubs produced their best start to the Europa League knock-out stage in five years with Rubin, Anzhi and Zenit all winning their first legs. RT explains one factor that could have helped them all.

With the Russian Premier league midway through its winter break the Spanish city of Marbella hosted a four-day training camp and then an international friendly, which saw the Russian national team ease past Iceland 2-0.

Fabio Capello's men weren't alone at the resort. Anzhi and Rubin trained on neighboring pitches and also went on to produce victories in their European campaigns.

Guus Hiddink's side came from behind to beat Hannover 3-1 at the Luzhniki Stadium, while Rubin, currently seventh in the domestic league, played the second half with ten men, but still clinched an impressive 2-0 win at holders Atletico Madrid.

Zenit opted to train in Turkey before their clash with Liverpool, but it was still a clean sweep, as the Saint Petersburg team triumphed 2-0 on home turf.

“I think this was a very professional match between two strong sides. In the first half, Zenit created several good chances to take the lead. And, during the second, we finally produced two good goals, and deservedly won the game,”Zenit manager Luciano Spalletti says.

The answer to this success could lie in the sun. The sub-zero Russian winter means an eight-week mid-season break is unavoidable. But with European ties ongoing as well as imminent World Cup qualifiers it is essential to maintain match fitness with warm weather training camps.

It seems some of the Russian clubs have found one venue for success with seven top-flight clubs choosing the excellent facilities in Marbella.

“The idea is to give the best clubs in the world the best place to train, private, and with the best grass. The only thing the Russian clubs ask for is to be professional. If you work like this they will come back, because the Russians like professional services. We know how to make the teams feel at home,” says Gaston Iglesias, marketing and communication director of the Marbella Club.

The sea-side resort of Marbella is well-known by golf lovers with its fine courses along the Costa del Sol. But there are also many football pitches and while Russia is covered with snow many teams hold their training camps there.

The reason is obvious. The temperature rarely drops below 15 degrees in winter, and there are lots of green pitches available, which help not only in keeping up fitness levels but also offset the type of injuries incurred in colder climates. Besides, there are always dozens of clubs from Northern and Eastern Europe preparing for the season so there is no lack of sparring options.

However, the upkeep of these lush grounds in such warm weather does not come cheap.

“The only way to get the best teams in the world is to have a good quality. Every pitch demands a lot of attention and money,” says Gaston Iglesias.

Despite being expensive, the provision of such facilities ultimately benefit not only the local owners but also the football clubs, and with Zenit and Anzhi winning and Rubin flourishing at the in-form champions' own Spanish ground the prospect of a good run in Europe might help ensure that this part of the Costa del Sol becomes a little bit of Russia once again next year.

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