Russia Football World Cup: Yuri Zhirkov Football Career and Achievements
Yuri Valentinovich Zhirkov is a Russian football player who plays for Zenit St. Petersburg. A left-back or winger, Zhirkov started his profession at local club Spartak Tambov before joining the top CSKA Moscow in 2004. Home and European successes followed, and in 2009 he moved to English Premier League club, Chelsea. at £ 18 million. After 2 terms, he returned to Russia with Anzhi Makhachkala, who sold him to Dynamo Moscow in 2013. He then signed for Zenit in January 2016.
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Zhirkov has won more than 100 world titles since 2005. His performances at the UEFA Euro 2008, where Russia reached the semi-finals, were recognized for his inclusion in the Team of the Tournament and the award as well as Futbol’s Russian Footballer of the Year. He was also selected for Euro 2012, the 2014 & 2018 FIFA World Cup to play for the Russian side.
International Career
Zhirkov played his first match in Russia on February 9, 2005, starting with a 2-0 defeat in Italy at Cagliari. Zhirkov was selected for the UEFA Euro 2008 Team of the Tournament after helping the team reach the semi-finals. In October 2008, Zhirkov was named one of the 30 Ballon d’Or recipients of the Ballon d’Or award.
On November 18, 2009, Zhirkov received his first red card for the national team – he was sent off late in the second leg in a second-half penalty shootout against Russia in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Slovenia after sacking a Slovenian player. For more to know about Football World Cup Packages Click here.
In August 2011, Zhirkov was harassed by Russian fans during a friendly match against Serbia in Moscow almost every time he touched a ball; until he was shot with a pack of cigarettes near the corner. Fans were outraged by his move to Anzhi. Zhirkov was confirmed in Russia’s Euro 2012 squad on May 25, 2012, and played in all three Russian matches as they were eliminated from the group stage.
On June 2, 2014, Zhirkov was included in the Russian squad for the 2014 Football World Cup. In the final match of the tournament, his 61st title, he scored his first international goal with a volley to open a 2-0 win over Morocco. He appeared in one final game, playing 71 minutes of the first 1 game against South Korea before being replaced by Aleksandr Kerzhakov. Russia also exited the tournament on the group stage.
Zhirkov scored his second international goal on March 29, 2016, when he lost 4-2 to France at the Stade de France. Zhirkov was not included in the Russian squad for Euro 2016 but returned to the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup where he was part of the team’s first three games. On June 24, 2017, he was sent off in the last group match in Russia as they were beaten 1-2 by Mexico in Kazan.
On June 3, 2018, he was included in the Final Football World Cup squad. He started in the first two group games, then returned to the starting line-up in the final match against Spain in the 16th Round. However, his debilitating injury forced him to replace Vladimir Granat during the Spanish break, and he failed to make it to the quarterfinals against Croatia, which Russia lost in a penalty shootout.
He has announced his retirement from the national team following the Football World Cup. Despite the announcement, he was re-invited to the national team on 16 March 2019 in the Euro 2020 qualifiers against Belgium and Kazakhstan. On 18 November 2020, he played his 100th match against Russia in the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League. On 11 May 2021, he was placed in the first 30-man squad for the UEFA Euro 2020.
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