"The meeting was more intense than we expected."
The head coach of Zira Rashad Sadigov said this at the press conference held after the return match against Osijek of the third qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League, Idman.biz reports.
The specialist said that he is proud of the players for winning the penalty shootout: "I am proud of them. I kiss and hug. I am grateful to our fan".
- What did you talk with Thiago Silva before the penalty shootout?
- I criticized him. I didn't say anything to Tyago in the game against Sheriff. I criticized him for being aggressive. He showed great skill today. I told you that we trust you a lot. It is not easy to overcome 4 out of 5 penalties.
- The opponent's coach said that if it wasn't for the penalty, he wouldn't have scored against us. What do you think about it?
- I really liked their coaches. I liked the football tactics. His opinion is normal.
- What did you want to change in the match?
- I didn't want to change anything. There was already an attacking team on the field. Ceyhun played mostly as a full-back. The opponent's goalkeeper performed very well. He gave excellent direction to the defenders.
- You will face Omonia in the playoffs. What do you think about it?
- I have no information about the team. They gained advantage in the match against Fehervar. This suggests that they are a strong opponent and have experience in the European Cup. They are probably eager to get into the group. We will do our best so that the victory is ours.
- In the previous matches, your opinions about the referees were one-sided.
- They managed the match well today. I was left wondering if there was a free kick in the second goal. It was as if there was no free kick. However, he behaved at the same level in other subjects.
- Football players seem to have difficulty in executing penalties.
- Many of our footballers are playing in the 3rd stage for the first time. Taking the penalty requires skill. Even if we didn't win today, it was an experience for us. The reason why most of the penalties were not accurate today was due to the good quality of the goalkeepers and fatigue. We wanted to solve everything in 120 minutes.
- Last season, the defense of Zire was criticized a lot. But now the team can face a number of European clubs. So, what has changed from that team to now?
- I don't want to talk about it too much. We haven't changed much. It's the same exercise. I am glad that we are seeing the fruits of it.
- You asked those on the bench to calm down while cheering in the penalty shootout. What is the reason for this?
- I have not been a supporter of crazy joy. This was something I didn't like. I always said, pray to God that victory will be with us.
Idman.biz
