Yury Zhirkov: Let them say what they will

The new signing of Anzhi Makhachkala, Yury Zhirkov, explained the reasons behind his move to the Russian club and admitted that this decision was a tough one.

«When did you make the final decision about the transfer?»

«On Saturday, in the morning. One day before that I came from London to Moscow, where the last meeting took place, during which everything was decided. Now I am a player of Anzhi – the contract is signed for four years.»

«Why have you hesitated for so long? The media already announced your move to Makhachkala in the beginning of the week.»

«The reason is that the choice was actually very tough. We’re talking about Chelsea, a top club who take part in – and win – the most prestigious tournaments. However, I was completely unhappy with the idea of spending more time on the bench than on the pitch, which was still possible for me at Chelsea. One more season like that and you could probably forget about Yury Zhirkov as a football player. I also had problems with everyday life in London, while at home everything is clear and familiar, which is, of course, better – not only for me, but also for my family, whose interests come first.»

«Do you realize that now everybody will say that you moved to Makhachkala only because of money?»

«Let them say what they will. For me the main thing is football and I hope to enjoy it with my new team,» Zhirkov said in an interview to Sport-Express.