Fabio Capello hit out at the "pedestrian" pace of club football in Russia after his side's Euro 2016 qualifying hopes were hit by a 1-0 defeat at home to Austria on Sunday.

"It's very hard to play at top speed because my players haven't got into the habit of doing so in Russian Premier League matches," said the 68-year-old Italian after the match in Moscow which left Russia third in qualifying Group G with just eight points from six games.

"After the pedestrian football which they play in the domestic league it's impossible to meet the requirements of European football, where everybody plays much faster."

Capello sidestepped questions about his future after his side, made up entirely of home-based players, lost to the Austrians for the second time in the campaign to qualify for next year's finals in France.

Russia are third in the group with four matches to go, meaning their place at Euro 2016 is far from secure with their remaining games to be played in the autumn.

The 2018 World Cup hosts have won only one game in qualifying so far, at home to Liechtenstein last September.

They were also awarded a 3-0 win over Montenegro after the game in Podogorica in March was abandoned due to crowd trouble with the score goalless midway through the second half.

Capello also hit out at the poor fitness of his side after Marc Janko's solitary goal handed Austria the win at the Otkrytie Arena.

"In the first half we didn't play our normal football. We also failed to cope with the physical supremacy of the Austrian players," said the former England coach.

"We did better in the second half and created the chances but failed to convert them. Probably Lady Luck was not on our side today."