WE ARE NOT SCARED OF VILLA - ZHIRKOV
Yuri Zhirkov, CSKA Moscow's coveted playmaker, has claimed the Russian side are not afraid of Premier League high-fliers Aston Villa, who many are backing to win the UEFA Cup.
Left-footer Zhirkov, who was wanted by Juventus in the recent transfer window, believes that if CSKA are going to win the UEFA Cup then it makes little difference whether they face Villa now, in the last 32, or later.
The 25-year-old Russian international, whose club became the first Russian side to win a European trophy when they took home the UEFA Cup in 2005, said: "Aston Villa are a good team with strong players - I know almost all of them, since they are so well-known.
"Why should we be afraid of them? If you are frightened, you lose the match far before the first whistle.
"I don't care at all which team are our opponents in the UEFA Cup. CSKA set the highest goals in all competitions, which means we must be ready to fight any team.
"If we have been pitted against one of the UEFA Cup favourites now, it means that we should defeat them now. I am sure that we will try our hardest to knock out Aston Villa."
For CSKA, Wednesday's clash at Villa Park will be their first competitive game since their domestic season ended before the winter - something that Zhirkov is relieved about.
He said: "I am looking forward to the first official match of the season, because it will mark the end of our pre-season preparations. This year I was tired of our training since the first day, because I couldn't spend any time with my wife and my little son.
"But I am professional and I feel that we have a good team that is capable of achieving great success."
Yuri Zhirkov, CSKA Moscow's coveted playmaker, has claimed the Russian side are not afraid of Premier League high-fliers Aston Villa, who many are backing to win the UEFA Cup.
Left-footer Zhirkov, who was wanted by Juventus in the recent transfer window, believes that if CSKA are going to win the UEFA Cup then it makes little difference whether they face Villa now, in the last 32, or later.
The 25-year-old Russian international, whose club became the first Russian side to win a European trophy when they took home the UEFA Cup in 2005, said: "Aston Villa are a good team with strong players - I know almost all of them, since they are so well-known.
"Why should we be afraid of them? If you are frightened, you lose the match far before the first whistle.
"I don't care at all which team are our opponents in the UEFA Cup. CSKA set the highest goals in all competitions, which means we must be ready to fight any team.
"If we have been pitted against one of the UEFA Cup favourites now, it means that we should defeat them now. I am sure that we will try our hardest to knock out Aston Villa."
For CSKA, Wednesday's clash at Villa Park will be their first competitive game since their domestic season ended before the winter - something that Zhirkov is relieved about.
He said: "I am looking forward to the first official match of the season, because it will mark the end of our pre-season preparations. This year I was tired of our training since the first day, because I couldn't spend any time with my wife and my little son.
"But I am professional and I feel that we have a good team that is capable of achieving great success."
Labels: Aston Villa, CSKA Moscow, UEFA Cup, Yuri Zuirkov
