MOSCOW, Nov. 8(Xinhuanet)-- Russia coach Yuri Syomin, 58, announced his resignation on Tuesday after his team failed to qualify for the World Cup soccer finals.

Before the national team job Syomin had spent 16 years coaching Lokomotiv Moscow, winning two Russian league titles.

Russian media reported he had been offered a long-term contract by Dynamo Moscow who fired their Brazilian coach Ivo Wortman on Monday following a string of poor results.

Syomin took over from Georgy Yartsev as national team coach midway through the qualifying campaign but was unable to steer the Russians to next year's finals in Germany.

Russia finished third in European Group Three behind Portugal and Slovakia following a 0-0 draw against the Slovaks last month in Bratislava in their final qualifier. Enditem