"We played against a strong opponent."
Samir Aliyev, the head coach of the Azerbaijan national team consisting of under-21 football players, told Idman.biz.
He evaluated the 0:1 defeat to Ukraine in the European Championship qualifying round. According to Aliyev, although they had a chance to score, they could not take advantage of it: "Ukraine was the best team we have faced so far. The opponent and we had good scoring chances. The match was also interesting. We showed combativeness. I was satisfied with my players."
An unpleasant incident happened in the 63rd minute of the match. Samir Abdullayev, who objected to being replaced, refused to shake the head coach's hand. Aliyev said that the football player will not go unpunished: "I attribute this action to his youth. He wanted to be on the field more and that was the reason for his protest. It is a common sight in football. He apologized to me immediately after the referee's whistle. The player is sorry. But he must be punished."
It should be noted that the Azerbaijan national team, which is in Group F, is the last in the group with 3 points. Ukraine is the first with 15 points.
Emin Aga
Idman.biz
