Anzhi star Yury Zhirkov says preseasons at Chelsea were tougher than what he's experienced back in Russia.

Zhirkov joined Anzhi last summer.

"I had tougher training sessions in the past. With [former CSKA Moscow manager] Gazzaev, for example. We had to do marathons, the Cooper test… And at Chelsea the training was even more intense.

"No breaks, everything was planned meticulously. I was more exhausted after those sessions. Especially with long-distance flights - America, Malaysia," the Russia international told Sovetsky Sport.