Russia Sberbank halves '09 asset growth forecast

* Asset growth forecast down to 15 pct from 30 pct for 2009

* Profit expectations also under review due to NPL levels

* Next two years "not easy," normal growth over next five

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MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's largest bank, state-controlled Sberbank (SBER03.MM), expects its assets to grow by at least 15 percent next year, down from an earlier forecast of 30 percent, its chief executive said on Wednesday.

"Next year the pace of growth will be slower than the (yearly) average expected in our five-year plan, but I do not think it will be lower than 15 percent," German Gref said at the presentation of the bank's strategy to 2014.

He added that the bank's profit and asset growth forecasts for next year are being revised down due to the expected levels of non-performing and overdue loans in its portfolio.

"The next two years will not be easy from the point of view of the situation in the economy and the financial sector. But over the next five years we should be able to return to a normal growth trajectory," Gref said.

Sberbank board member Denis Bugrov said on Wednesday that this summer, before the onset of the global financial crisis, the bank had been counting on asset growth of 30 percent in 2009, but that had needed to be corrected.

The five-year strategy published on Wednesday also set out plans to double or triple profits by 2014 while keeping Sberbank's market share of banking assets at 25-30 percent.

The document also sets the goal of cutting staff by 3-5 percent per year to 210,000 employees.

(Reporting by Dmitry Sergeev, writing by Simon Shuster; Editing by Jon Loades-Carter)