On June 27, the Khimki football club announced the parting with defender Yuri Zhirkov. The contract was designed for six months, and it was decided not to renew it. In Khimki, the legend of Russian football played only three matches – most of the spring he was treated for injuries. There is little surprise in this: Yuri Valentinovich will turn 39 in August.

Time in Khimki was definitely useful for both Zhirkov and the team. The youth gained experience from the veteran, and Yuri himself got a complete picture of his prospects in the RPL.

There is nowhere else to pull with the resignation?

Yuri Zhirkov / Photo: © Maksim Konstantinov / Global Look Press / Global Look Press

Khimki refused Zhirkov due to his injuries

Why Zhirkov was called to Euro 2020 is a mystery that only Stanislav Cherchesov knows. As expected, the veteran could not cope with the load and already in the first round match with Belgium was seriously injured. “I came to the MRI and realized – asshole,” said Zhirkov. After that, he went into a clear decline: Zenit did not renew the contract with the injured Yuri, and the club’s doctor claimed that the player would no longer be able to enter the field.

However, Zhirkov is a professional, what to look for. He was a free agent for six months, and then made a big comeback by signing a six-month deal with Khimki. Nevertheless, he went out onto the field and proved to the doctor from St. Petersburg that there was still gunpowder in the powder flasks. But that’s where the positives dried up: Zhirkov played in only three meetings, not scoring effective actions. For most of the spring, the legend healed injuries, which is why Khimki decided not to renew the contract.

– Will a replacement be sought for Zhirkov? No. Many thanks to Yuriy for spending these six months with us. That’s what we planned. The contract was quite short. If Yuri had a lot of playing practice, then we could have extended it, but this did not happen, – quotes a member of the Khimki Supervisory Board Roman Teryushkov “Championship”.

Briefly: if not for the injury, Zhirkov would have remained in the team. But even though he did little on the field, Yuriy Valentinovich helped Khimki a lot. Yes, Zhirkov was not seen behind fiery motivational speeches, but his judicious advice to partners probably helped the club maintain a residence permit in the RPL. Why are there many older players in the teams from the bottom of the table? Young people are psychologically unstable, and veterans react to everything calmly. They charge those around them with confidence in their abilities in the locker room, in training, in personal communication with the players and the coach. Therefore, for Zhirkov and Khimki, the union was mutually beneficial.

Yuri Zhirkov / Photo: © Gonzalo Arroyo – UEFA / Contributor / UEFA / Gettyimages.com

Is it time to retire now?

The story in Khimki has come to an end. What’s next? To be honest, it’s hard to imagine that Zhirkov will continue to perform, given his endless sores. A couple of years ago, they said that Yuri Valentinovich could well end his career in his native Tambov, but now there is no club there. I don’t think I have any motivation to play in the First League with its long flights and busy schedule. The 38-year-old legend is unlikely to be able to find a place in the elite, because now even the RPL grandees have set a course for rejuvenation.

Everything goes to the fact that Zhirkov will have to hang up his boots, and his fans and colleagues will certainly support this decision. Yuri Valentinovich did everything he could and even more for the development of domestic football. At the peak of a career and form, it will no longer be possible to leave, but it is quite possible to maintain health.

And Zhirkov has something to do – he has a wonderful family, and he also plans to open his own museum near Kaliningrad. It has long been known that Yuri tremblingly collects exhibits from the times of the Great Patriotic War.