Shishkin Praises Advocaat as One of the Best Coaches After Curaçaos World Cup Qualification

Former player of Moscow’s Spartak and the Russian national team, **[Roman Shishkin](https://example.com/tags/609-roman-shishkin/)**, shared his thoughts on ex-Zenit coach **Dick Advocaat**, who successfully led the Curaçao national team to the finals of the 2026 World Cup.

«I wasn’t even aware that such a country existed. I believe Curaçao is the smallest nation participating in the World Cup. It’s gratifying that this achievement comes with Dick Advocaat. I had the opportunity to work with him on the national team, where he called me up. Advocaat is a respected figure, and he coached the Russian team without interference. He granted players freedom and provided motivation, which was key to his success.

We have seen many instances where coaches like Guus Hiddink achieved results with average teams, but managing to take such a small nation to the World Cup… Advocaat has reaffirmed his status as one of the top coaches. I’m pleased to have worked with him, and it’s wonderful to see his current successes,» Shishkin remarked in an interview with Championship correspondent Yegor Kabak.