UPDATE 2-Soccer-Russia omit Kerzhakov from Euro 2008 squad

(Adds more Hiddink quotes)

By Gennady Fyodorov

MOSCOW, May 14 (Reuters) - Russia striker Alexander
Kerzhakov was a surprise omission when coach Guus Hiddink
unveiled his 25-man provisional squad for Euro 2008 on
Wednesday.

Kerzhakov has struggled to regain his form since joining
Dynamo Moscow from Sevilla in February.

"There are many players who could have been on this list,
but we always look for the balance when we make the selection,"
Hiddink told reporters when asked about Kerzhakov's absence.

The Dutchman also raised a few eyebrows by calling up
32-year-old midfielder Sergei Semak for the first time since he
took over the Russia post in July 2006.

Unlike Kerzhakov, Semak has been in sparkling form this
season, helping unfancied Rubin Kazan to the top of the Russian
premier league.

Hiddink also included three newcomers, Lokomotiv Moscow
defender Renat Yanbayev and midfielders Oleg Ivanov of Krylya
Sovietov Samara and Alexander Pavlenko of Spartak Moscow in the
25-man panel, which will be trimmed to 23 by May 28.

Russia are in Group D with Greece, Spain and Sweden at the
championship being co-hosted by Austria and Switzerland.

BIG ACHIEVEMENT

Hiddink said reaching the finals was itself a "big
achievement for Russian football".

"We were not the favourites to reach Euro 2008 playing in a
(qualifying) group with Croatia and England, but we did it," he
said.

"Now, we'll try to do the same. We know we're not the big
favourites, nevertheless our aim is to make the second round."

Hiddink added that the European Championship is a much more
balanced tournament than the World Cup finals.

"Euro is full of quality if you compare it to a World Cup,
there are no weak teams at Euro," said the Dutchman, who led the
Netherlands to the World Cup semi-finals in 1998 before
repeating the trick with South Korea four years later.

"Therefore, it's much tougher to make the second round at
Euro than at a World Cup.

"We are a young team and will try to play attractive
attacking football, not be an overly anxious defensive team."

Hiddink also singled out Spain as group favourites: "In our
group we have one favourite -- Spain, who are a very strong
attractive side," he said.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeyev (CSKA Moscow), Vyacheslav
Malafeyev (Zenit St Petersburg), Vladimir Gabulov (Amkar Perm)

Defenders: Sergei Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow), Alexei
Berezutsky (CSKA Moscow), Vasily Berezutsky (CSKA Moscow),
Alexander Anyukov (Zenit St Petersburg), Denis Kolodin (Dynamo
Moscow), Renat Yanbayev (Lokomotiv Moscow)

Midfielders: Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Yuri
Zhirkov (CSKA Moscow), Igor Semshov (Dynamo Moscow), Dmitry
Torbinsky (Lokomotiv Moscow), Vladimir Bystrov (Spartak Moscow),
Konstantin Zyryanov (Zenit St Petersburg), Roman Shirokov (Zenit
St Petersburg), Sergei Semak (Rubin Kazan), Alexander Pavlenko
(Spartak Moscow), Oleg Ivanov (Krylya Sovietov Samara)

Forwards: Andrei Arshavin (Zenit St Petersburg), Pavel
Pogrebnyak (Zenit St Petersburg), Roman Pavlyuchenko (Spartak
Moscow), Dmitry Sychev (Lokomotiv Moscow), Roman Adamov (FK
Moscow), Ivan Saenko (Nuremberg).

(Editing by Padraic Halpin)