EURO 2004/Qualifying: Russia goalkeeper Ruslan Nigmatullin yesterday set the tone for Saturday's European Championship home qualifier when he accused the Irish players of using "dirty tactics".

"They are a dirty team," Nigmatullin, who played against Ireland in a friendly last February, told Russian reporters at his team's training camp outside Moscow.

"They try to hit you in the back, hit you from behind, use their elbows, all that stuff, so we have to be careful," he said.

Alexei Smertin, who will lead his team against Ireland in the Group 10 opener in the absence of injured captain Yegor Titov, was equally wary of Ireland's tactics despite not playing in the 2-0 defeat in Dublin.

"I know that players on many teams in the West are specifically instructed to use their elbows and aim for the head when they go for high balls," the Girondins Bordeaux midfielder told Reuters.

But Spain-based Dmitry Khokhlov had a different view. "Irish - a dirty team?" the Real Sociedad midfielder said when asked about Nigmatullin's remarks. "No, I don't think so. Yes, they are tough, emotional and often they try to run you over, but I wouldn't call them dirty."

Russia's coach Valery Gazzayev said he had warned his players against underestimating their opponents.

"The Irish don't have superstars on their team, but we all know they have plenty of other qualities like toughness, character and their fighting spirit is second to none," the coach said. "We regard them as a very serious opponent, one of our main contenders in the group." Gazzayev has plenty of worries on the injury front.

He is already without injured midfielder Marat Izmailov and his Lokomotiv Moscow team-mate, striker Ruslan Pimenov, and yesterday lost two other key players to injuries, defender Vyacheslav Dayev and striker Denis Popov.

The Russians are also missing Spartak striker Dmitry Sychyov (18), their best player in the World Cup finals, who walked out of his club two weeks ago after a contractual dispute.