Chelsea midfielder Yury Zhirkov says he had no problem with manager Carlo Ancelotti slating his singing in his book.
Ancelotti compared the performance to hearing a cat drown, which rankled sensitivities in Russia to the point where some questioned how Blues owner Roman Abramovich could tolerate such an insult. But Zhirkov said he had no problem with book.
"I laughed," he said. "How else should I react?"
Former Chelsea player Alexei Smertin, who attended the Blues' Champions League win at Spartak Moscow, insists it could have been worse.
"Ancelotti was lucky," quipped the one-time Russia midfielder. "He didn't hear me sing!
"I have neither the voice nor an ear for music. I didn't hit one note. I chose a song, all sung in the minor key, which no one understood the words. When the first napkin hit me, I realised I'd chosen the wrong song. You need to sing something upbeat."
