Tag: chelsea

A Russian Ronaldinho’s Time at Chelsea: Yuri Zhirkov

Back in June of 2009, there was a lot of excitement buzzing around Stamford Bridge. Guus Hiddink, who was the interim manager of Chelsea and also managed the Russian national team, had recently led Chelsea to victory in the FA Cup. As he prepared to leave his role at Chelsea, Hiddink had one last request for the team owner, Roman Abramovich – he wanted him to sign Yuri Zhirkov.

At the time, Zhirkov was a relatively unknown player, though he had made an impression with his performance for Russia in the Euro 2008 tournament. Fans were open to the idea of signing Zhirkov, but when rumors started to circulate that he was nicknamed “the Russian Ronaldinho,” the hype surrounding the potential signing reached a fever pitch. Continue reading “A Russian Ronaldinho’s Time at Chelsea: Yuri Zhirkov” →

       ZHIRKOV SAYS KENEDY SHOULD LEAVE CHELSEA TO GET MORE PLAYING TIME

According to Brazilian journalist Mateus-Guia Alvinegro, Kenedy is the subject of interest from Botafogo over a possible move in the summer transfer window. A Estrela solitaria are keen on reinforcing their wide-attacking options in the coming weeks, with the Chelsea wing-back emerging as a viable candidate.


Kenedy has been with Chelsea for nearly seven years but has failed to nail down a spot for himself in the first-team squad. The 26-year-old joined the Blues in August 2015 after a successful trial, but he has spent only one full season with the west London club, his debut campaign in England. Continue reading “       ZHIRKOV SAYS KENEDY SHOULD LEAVE CHELSEA TO GET MORE PLAYING TIME” →

Zenit St Petersburg star surprised by Celtic’s performance

Zenit St Petersburg defender Branislav Ivanovic has admitted that he was ‘surprised’ by the performance levels of Celtic during the first leg of the Europa League round of 32 tie. The Hoops produced a strong showing in front of their home supporters, and they were eventually rewarded after Callum McGregor clinched a 78th-minute winner for the Scottish champions.


In an interview covered by The Scotsman, the 33-year-old, who has previously plyed his trade for Chelsea, conceded that he was astonished by the performance of Brendan Rodgers’ side, but he expects Zenit to come back with a strong response of their own when they host the Hoops in the return leg at the Krestovsky Stadium next week.
Continue reading “Zenit St Petersburg star surprised by Celtic’s performance” →