Yuri and Inna Zhirkov: an exclusive interview on the eve of the 2018 World Cup

The midfielder of the Russian national football team and his wife, winner of the title “Mrs. Russia – 2012”, claim that they are keeping children in strict order. At the same time, a chandelier was broken at home – the result of the children’s games.

6 2018 June

Our children are not spoiled (the couple is raising nine-year-old Dmitry, two-year-old Daniel and seven-year-old Milan. – Approx. “Antenna”). They know what “no” is and what “no possibility” means. I’m probably more strict with children. Yura, when he returns from the training camp, I want to do absolutely whatever they want for them. Our dad allows them everything. Modern children spend a lot of time on their phones, and I give mine for 10 minutes, no more. And these are not games at all, especially not consoles. When I ask Dima to give me the phone, then “Mommy, please!” will not work. And Yura allows them all this. I forbid a lot of sweets, the choice is maximum candy, three slices of chocolate or glazed cheese. But our dad thinks that it’s okay if the children eat not one candy, but three.

But with his sons, the husband is still stricter. I have no division into boys and girls – I treat my sons and my daughter equally. When Dima was little, he could fall in the yard, hurt his knee and cry, and I always took him in my arms and felt sorry for him. And Yura said: “This is a boy, he should not cry.”

Dima, it seems to me, is well brought up. I have tears welling up when a child comes to me on Sunday with breakfast in bed and with a flower. He has some money to buy this flower. I’m very pleased.

The husband always arrives with a large package of dragees, because you can’t buy anything special for children at the airport. It happens that the younger will grab some typewriter. The elder is no longer interested, and all the children are happy with sweets.

The main thing is to love children. Then they will be kind and positive, will treat people with respect, help them. We both love children and have always dreamed of a big family. We would like to have a fourth child, but in the future. While we are on the road, in different cities, in rented apartments. Even with three, it is very difficult to look for apartments, schools, hospitals, kindergartens, buy bunk beds. It’s complicated. So the replenishment can be after the end of the career. We decided on the third for a long time. The older ones do not have such a big age difference, and it seemed to me that they would be jealous. Besides, having so many children is another responsibility. But Dima asked us for a brother almost every day. Now Danya has matured, he is two and a half years old. We travel everywhere, fly, drive. Children are madly in love with this and, probably, are already accustomed to the fact that we are on the move all the time. Dima is now in the third grade. This is his third school. And it is not known where we will be when he will be in the fourth. Of course, it’s hard for him. And in terms of ratings too. Now he has Cs in Russian and mathematics in a quarter.

We don’t scold Dima, because sometimes he misses school. I just want the kids to spend as much time with their dad as possible. So the grades are not exactly what we would like to see, but the son is trying and, most importantly, he loves to study. Dima often had to move from school to school: he is older, he will only get used to it, friends will appear, and we need to move. It is easier for Milan, because she only once changed the Moscow garden to the St. Petersburg garden, and then immediately went to school.

Like dad, our elder plays football. He really likes it. Now he is at Dynamo St. Petersburg, before he was at CSKA and Zenit. The choice of the club depends on the city where we live. The son’s age is not yet the same to see him as a future footballer. But for now, my son really likes everything – both the coach and the team. When Dima just started playing, he tried to stand at the goal, now he is more in defense. The coach puts him in attacking positions too, and he is happy when he scores or passes assists. Not so long ago I got into the main team. Yura helps his son, in the summer they run with the ball in the yard and in the park, but he does not climb into training. True, he can ask why Dima stood and did not run, give a hint, but his son has a coach, and her husband tries not to interfere. Our children have a love of football since birth. When I had no one to leave the kids with, we went to stadiums with them. And at home, now they will make a choice in favor of a sports channel, not a children’s one. Now we go to matches together, we sit in our usual places, the atmosphere is even better in these stands. The eldest son often comments, worries, especially when he hears not very pleasant words about our dad and our close friends. Little Danya still does not understand the meaning, but with older Dima there are problems: “Mom, how can he say that ?! I’ll turn around now and answer him! ” I say, “Sonny, calm down.” And he is always ready to intercede for dad.

Milana went to first grade. We were worried about her, because my daughter really did not want to go to school. She had the idea that childhood would end when she began to study. After all, while Dima is doing his homework, she is walking! But now she likes it, and she studies much better than her brother. If the son wants to run away from school, on the contrary, she wants to run there. We live in two cities, and I sometimes allow her to skip classes. Fortunately, the school understands this.

My daughter often draws sketches of clothes and asks her to sew one (Inna Zhirkova has her own clothing atelier Milo by Inna Zhirkova, where she creates paired collections for parents and children. – Approx. “Antennas”). And when I answer that there is no time, Milana declares that she comes as a client. She often travels with me for fabrics, and chooses for herself. I have to take it because I want her to understand colors, shades and fashion in general, so that our family studio will exist for many years. Maybe when Milana grows up, she will continue the business.

Sometimes we laugh that the youngest, Danya, is already playing football better than the older one, Dima. He is always with the ball and really hits amazingly. Our chandelier has already been broken. It is not always possible to play a ball on the street, so you often have to sacrifice a house. Sometimes we play with the whole family, including me. I feel sorry for the neighbors, because we are so worried!

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