Coach denies claims of referee switch

Guus Hiddink will arrive here today amid claims that his Russia team have already tried to influence a fixture that could decide England's Euro 2008 fate. Reports emerged yesterday that the referee for tomorrow's match against Israel had been switched following complaints to Uefa from the Russian federation. It was claimed that Russia objected to the selection of the German Herbert Fandel, who was accused of bias towards Celtic in a match against Spartak Moscow in August, and that he had been replaced by the Italian Stefano Farina.

A Uefa spokesman said he was aware of the reports but denied anybody but Farina had been intended for the game. Israel's goalkeeper, Dudu Aouate, believes if there was any such complaint to Uefa from Russia it was unjustified. "The referee comes to do a job regardless of what the match is or which teams are playing," Aouate said. "The pressure is always there on the players and the referees. We all just hope he does his job in the best way possible."

There is so much talk of attempts to manipulate the result that even without being asked, Israel's coach, Dror Kashtan, said in his opening address to the media that talk of conspiracy should be put aside. "I have read a lot of irrelevant speculation, there is nothing in it," he said. "This is speculation to cause an atmosphere that doesn't exist. We are proud Israelis. We all live here and wherever we were born, here or not, we are Israelis. We have 90 minutes to win the game and this is the major message we want to get across."

Kashtan's Russian-born goalkeeping coach, Alexander Ubarov, caused controversy this week when he said that he would like Russia to qualify in place of England. But Kashtan leapt to his defence. "I have known him a long time as a man and have worked with him as a coach for one year," he said. "I feel he is absolutely fine."

Aouate insists he and his team-mates will strive to gain a result tomorrow. With England hoping Israel secure a point at least to ensure their match against Croatia next Wednesday has a meaning, that will encourage Steve McClaren's men. But Aouate said it was out of a sense of professional duty rather than any desire to hand England an improbable lifeline, and his interpretation of events may further dull English optimism.

"I don't care who qualifies, whether it's England or Russia," said the goalkeeper. "We'll do our job in the best possible way but the Russia team are a very strong side. The fact that Russia have their fate in their own hands speaks for itself."