The captain of Sumgayit, Elvin Badalov, shared his thoughts in an interview with Sportal.az.
- Sumgayit managed to defeat Turan Tovuz. How did you manage to defeat such a challenging opponent on the road?
- Of course, we knew it would be a difficult away game. But we prepared well for this match. We analyzed our opponent properly, and in the end, we were able to get the victory. All of our players fought well, and we secured the important three points.
- Vagif Javadov and other players also mentioned that you needed a win to break the negative streak. After defeating Kapaz, you also won against Turan Tovuz. Can we say you’ve come out of the bad streak?
- Of course, when you fall into a losing streak, a win is what you need to breathe new life into the team. We achieved that, and afterwards, our confidence increased. This helped us in the match against Turan Tovuz. It’s encouraging that we’ve come out of that bad streak.
- You were involved in the first goal against Turan Tovuz, providing an assist. How would you describe that moment?
- It was a good combination play. When the ball was with me, two of our players opened up in good spaces. I just had to pass the ball to one of them, and I did that. It worked well.
- Did the break come at a bad time for you, considering that the team had won two matches in a row?
- Actually, the rest was necessary for us as well, because we went through a tough period. This break will be beneficial for us, and I believe we will be ready to prepare well for the fourth round.
- Sumgayit is currently in 7th place in the league with 28 points. Are you satisfied with your current position?
- Of course, this position doesn't satisfy us. But this is the reality of the season, and we have to accept it. Our goal is to collect as many points as possible until the end of the season, and we'll see how that goes.
- Speaking of the national team, were you expecting a call-up from Fernando Santos? Why do you think you weren’t called up?
- Every player hopes for a call-up to the national team during each camp. I did too. But probably my current performance doesn’t satisfy Fernando Santos. Therefore, I need to improve to get called up to the national team.
- Do you think Sumgayit has secured its place in the Premier League for next season? Is the threat of relegation behind you?
- True, we've increased the points gap with the team in last place. But we cannot relax. We need to keep gathering points. We’re not in a situation where we can afford to relax. We want to continue with successful results in the upcoming rounds. I hope everything will work out well.
- And what’s your stance on the potential abolition of the foreign player limit next season?
- I don’t think removing the limit will harm local players, because our players know how to play football. This decision might even motivate us more. We’re not weaker than any foreign player. The person who made the decision can answer this question better. Our job is to play on the field. The decision has been made, and time will show whether it was right or wrong.
- There were rumors that Qarabag was interested in you. Could that happen?
- The Qarabag matter is not on the agenda right now. My contract ends at the end of the season, and we can talk about transfers then.
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