Zhirkov admitted to smoking hookah while playing for the national team
Ex-footballer of the Russian national team Yuri Zhirkov in interview RB Sport talked about hookah smoking.
The publication’s interlocutor admitted that he sometimes took a hookah to the national team’s training camps, despite the ban from the coaching staff. “Hookah is bad, of course, for many it’s like a cigarette. It’s harmful to your health, but you have to allow yourself something harmful,” Zhirkov shared the details.
The athlete, whose last club was Khimki, announced his retirement in February 2023. Previously, he also played for Zenit St. Petersburg, CSKA Moscow, Chelsea in London, Anzhi Makhachkala and the capital's Dynamo.
As part of the Russian national team, Zhirkov won bronze at the 2008 European Championship. In total, the defender has 105 matches for the national team, as well as two goals.