Zenit St. Petersburg have the quality to win this season's Champions League, FA president Nikolai Tolstykh told R-Sport on Monday.
Zenit broke the Russian transfer record when they spent €80 million earlier this month to sign Brazil striker Hulk and Belgium’s midfielder Axel Witsel, but have not won a league game since as well as suffering a 3-0 opening Champions League group stage defeat to Malaga.
When asked what sort of goal Zenit are capable of achieving in Europe this year, Tolstykh said the Russian champions could go all the way.
“Tasks of maximum difficulty,” he said, adding: “I think that Zenit are able to solve them.”
Last season, the Gazprom-backed side reached the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in their history, but were eliminated by Benfica.
“I think that Zenit may be ranked among the leading European clubs. Zenit should set the toughest sporting goals. Zenit have every opportunity for this,” Tolstykh said.
The Russian side host AC Milan on Wednesday and enter the match with one win in their last six games in all competitions.
