Updated: June 2, 2008, 7:06 PM EST Comment

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The "Little General" guided Zenit to the UEFA Cup title for the first time by conquering the Scots he coached between 1998 and 2001. He was immediately congratulated by phone by Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin.

"I feel happy finally winning a prize like this," Advocaat said. "It doesn't happen often in your life.

"You've seen the way we've been playing and we deserved it."

Zenit won 2-0, limiting Rangers to minor incursions in the first half, but producing few chances itself despite dominating the game.

Lacking creativity, the Russians were reduced to mediocre shots against an organized Scottish defense.

"He did say we must win," Arshavin said through a translator. "We needed to win the cup and he said if we don't need the cup we're no good."

Rangers' aggressive posture in the second half threatened Zenit, but it was rescued by Vyacheslav Malafeev denying Rangers' Jean-Claude Darcheville, and Swedish referee Peter Frojdfeldt's decision not to penalize what appeared to be a handball in the penalty area by Igor Denisov.

"I've won championships in all countries, but now winning the UEFA Cup I have almost everything," said the 60-year-old Advocaat, who steered PSV Eindhoven to the Dutch championship and a cup title in three years at the helm in the mid-to-late 1990s.

But even in the aftermath of his greatest triumph, Advocaat, who led Rangers to a domestic treble in 1999, didn't seek to gloat.

And he didn't break his no-alcohol rule - even as former Russian prime minister Viktor Zubkov joined the dressing room celebrations.

"(The players) tried to throw it over my head but I was too quick," he said.

Now he fears Zenit's exploits will attract the interest in his players from Europe's more celebrated leagues. Liverpool acquired Slovakia defender Martin Skrtel in January.

"All the players are so very important to this team," Advocaat said. "We have to try and keep this team and buy three or four other players.

"No doubt some players will go and we will have to start again. That's the problem if we become successful we can't keep better players like Skrtel sold to Liverpool and those players we need to keep to become an even better team."