More money, more problems for Dick

Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg have made a shock eleventh hour bid to persuade Dick Advocaat to tear up his Socceroos contract - by offering the Dutchman a tax pre-paid $4million a year contract to stay put.

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In what amounts to a joust between Advocaat's scruples and a crate-load of roubles, he must now decide whether to honour his agreement to guide Australia to the 2010 World Cup for a far more modest $2.5 million annual before-tax contract. Or simply take the money and run.

Zenit's Sporting Director Konstantin Sarsania believes the 60-year-old will remain in Russia to lead Zenit in to their first foray into the Champions League next year.

''Dick is a hero here and we believe we have put together a package that will make it impossible for him to leave us,'' he revealed.

''There were a million people celebrating on the streets in St Petersburg on Sunday to celebrate our Championship - and how can he go now?''

''The people love him and I'm very confident that within a few days he will come to the view that staying with us is best for him, as well as the club.''

''We know he is happy here, why wouldn't he be after guiding the team to their first Russian title in 23 years. I'm very hopeful he will stay.''

Socceroos officials, however, believe Konstantin is in a blissful state of denial following Zenit's championship triumph and must accept that leading the team to a title-clinching 1-0 win over Moscow satellite club Saturn on Sunday will prove to be Advocaat's Russian league epitaph.

They are convinced he will at the Socceroos west London hotel on Friday to meet long-time friend Rob Baan and map out a battle plan for the first phase of Australia's World Cup qualification campaign starting in February 2008.

Advocaat is also planning to meet key players Lucas Neill, Tim Cahill, Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton to gauge the temperature of their 2010 World Cup commitment.

He will remain in this frigid city to watch the Socceroos' clash with Nigeria on Sunday morning (Australia time), secreted high up in the stands at Craven Cottage as far away from prying eyes as possible.

One source close to the FFA hierarchy said: ''We know Zenit are preparing to offer him a huge new deal but it's the understanding of the FFA that he will not be swayed and is looking forward to undertaking a new challenge.''

Advocaat, who says his mind is already made up on his future, is remaining publicly coy as he continues to pilot Zenit through the group phase of the UEFA Cup, where their next opponents are a Nurnberg side with a four-strong Aussie contingent in three weeks time.

Though his FFA contract comes complete with an escape clause, it would still take a U-turn of gargantuan proportions for him to remain in Russia beyond January and the completion of his UEFA Cup pledge to Zenit.

No matter how many roubles are on the table.

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