CSKA Moscow left winger and Russian international Yuri Zhirkov (25) gave an interview to Catalan sports paper Sport.
The Spanish press is again talking about your possible transfer to a Barça team that made history. You've seen the team of Pep Guardiola play last season?
Of course. In Russia the Spanish league is closely followed and I watch a lot of games, especially those of Barça, my favourite team since many years. This season I've seen many games and the truth is they've played excellent.
Since when do you sympathize with Barça?
I don't remember... Since I was little. I always liked their way of playing and the idea about football they have.
Barça is full of star players. Messi, Xavi, Iniesta... Who is your favourite?
The whole team. They're all great. I cannot give you a name because the team has done perfect and all players have been important for the success of the team.
Besides Barça, there are other European clubs that are interested in you, like Juventus, and especially Chelsea. How do you feel about all that?
Well, all those rumours are constantly appearing on the web and in the media, but I prefer not to believe them. Until now, CSKA didn't receive any offer and they didn't start official negotiations with any club.
You know that Barcelona has let go Sylvinho and needs a new player on the left...
Yes, I know. And I would love to be that player. Despite that, at Barça the team is more important than the names and they always manage to overcome the absences. In the final of the Champions League for example, the two full backs were missing but the team still played a great game.
The British press assured that you have signed a contract with Chelsea... Is that true?
Of course not. The proof is that several weeks have already passed since those rumours and I'm still here, at CSKA. My club has never started talks about me with any club.
Chelsea's Russian owner Abramovich could make you choose for them?
Well, I don't know... But I repeat that my team is Barça and that I want to play there. Barça is my first option and I dream about being part of that club one day.
You see yourself playing for Barça next season?
In football, anything is possible, but first there should be an offer from Barça and then CSKA should accept it.
Read more:
CSKA Moscow left winger Zhirkov offered
Asenjo, Zhirkov and Silva main transfer targets
Zhirkov prefers to join Barcelona
Monday 15 June 2009
Zhirkov: "Barça is my first option"
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22 comments:
Good player, can be used as both an LB and LW..
Two probs: Price and Filipe Luis..
he is good i think better choice tacticaly can cover LM,LW,LB
we already missed ashravin .....i think we shld buy the players who have quality and have the desire to play with us rather than players which r ready to accept offers by madrid and keep us as second choice
filipe luis was pathetic today (against egypt) even busquets plays better
somebody wathed egypt brazil ???
finished 3-4
egypt played so well and vey often n a similar way of barca the shot passes didnt believe it wasnt xavi and iniesta ....
ope barca buy Abu Treika he s wonderful i guess we can get him for 4-5 M and i have big feeling that he will be a good player at barca
a lot of people say this guy is very good, but how many have actually seen him play? I'm sure that a lot of people say he's good because of FM, where he's a legend.
its melo i think
I like this guy. Anyone that talks this way about Barça is good.
He made Euro 2008 team of the tournament.
I prefer him over Ribery. He won't nearly cost as much.
As a left footed player, he will bring variety to the left side that we are missing now. Iniesta can play on the left in the same way Ribery does, but Zhirkov would help us mix up our plays. For example, he could get wide more naturally than Ribery or Iniesta, so the opponent will be even more vulnerable when we cut inside.
He can also fill in as a LB. Now I know everyone is going to start saying that we can't have Alves and Zhirkov on the same team because we will be exposed defensively. But think about it this way. Alves played the most minutes out of anyone last year and he needs to rest more often in the long season ahead of us. Zhirkov should not necessarily be put on the field at the same time as Alves; Dani can rest and we would have a defensive line like this: Zhirkov-Pique-Marquez-Puyol with Iniesta/Henry/Bojan as LW. So in a sense, he is not only literally filling in for Abidal, he is also serving as a sub for Alves.
Plus, he wants to play for us. Read his answer to the fifth question. We are less likely to have locker room problems with a guy like this than with already established superstars.
and we can also use him from the right like Messi. 3 in 1 = LB, LW & RW
totally agree with u carrer de corsega...!
A lot of people are not talking about this, but the squad can only have 3 non-EU citizens and we currently have Toure+Hleb+Caceres+Henrique. Is Zhirkov ellegible?
For those who have not seen him play...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WslrR4sTHeE
carrer de corsega= couldn't agree more, what barça needs, except the two brilliant forwards (LW/ AC)
are men who are polyvalent.
therefore i would like zhirkov.
another option: dembele (not a starter yet- but can play anywhere!)
WHAT IS BARCA WAITING FOR?!!! he is like another daniel alves that plays in the left back...He is one of the best left backs in the world (if he's not the best) and just look at his age! HE IS PERFECT...I hope barca sign him fast...
I've only seen this guy on Euro 2008, where he was great, not awesome. Other than that I've only seen him on FM where he is really good. For some reason all of the CSKA are better in FM than in real life. Would guess that the same thing is with Zhirkov.
He seems too really want to play for Barca, so he might be a good option for Ribery. He also seems to know how Barca plays, so thats good aswell.
In 2008, Zhirkov was named as one of the 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or award
His goal against Hamburger SV in the UEFA Champions League 2006-07 was chosen as best goal of the competition by UEFA Magazine "Goal"
Zhirkhov won the 2004-05 UEFA Cup with CSKA Moscow, scoring in the final
sme info
Hadi, please. Another Dani Alves isn't good. Seriously we need a defensive LB. If we buy Zhirkov and play him as a LB our defence will be really unstable. That won't work, especially not against teams who counter-attack.
If we buy Zhirkov it should be as a LW. Buy Filipe Luiz as a LB. Havn't seen much with him eighter, but he is defensive right?
those who say he is attacking defender shd notice that we have abidal as our first choice he can be used there if he is injured
he can acts as back up for alves as mentioned earlier he would play the same role alves plays on right on left and pyuol would shift to right
he can play on left wing
can be back up for keita when he goes in jan for afc cup
most imp he is versatile can play at diff position and has the desire to succed at barca even though he knows it will be tough to succed in already top quality midfield
will not cr8 ego prob..
and has experience at the top level both international and club level and uefa games
filipe is cheap has liga experience same risk as caceras ....coz he was good in d last part only his perfomances is in patches
kubalafan - toure is an eu citizen, as is caceres. hleb and now henrique are foreign. leaves place for one more.
@Anony - he is a legend in football manager, and trust me, that isnt very far from what he is in reality. ive seen zhirkov during the WC. he was deadly.
cant we just buy both Luis and Zhirkov as Zhirkov is so vercitle wud be a shame to miss out on luis...but pep is the man he knows best ill have faith
Maxi
This guy is incredible. A superman on the left side! He is better than both Silva and Ribery.
A.cole is 1st option.Then Zhirkov is not a bad choice or at least, Philip Lahm
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