Defender of the Azerbaijan national team, Zamig Aliyev, speaks to Sportal.az:
- The Azerbaijan national team played two friendly matches, and unfortunately, both ended in defeat. Surely, when you arrived in Albania for the camp, you were thinking positively. Did you expect to lose both matches?
- Of course, I didn’t expect defeat. I don’t think any footballer thinks about losing before a match. Moreover, when it comes to the national team, such a mindset is out of the question. We all were focused on success and the results we wanted.
- After the loss to Haiti, there was a lot of criticism. Was it difficult to mentally prepare for the Belarus match? Did you believe you could win against Belarus?
- Naturally, the lack of recent victories puts pressure on the players. However, despite that, we were confident we would win against Belarus and end the losing streak. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
- You started the match against Belarus and actually began well. But in the second half, you made a technical error in the center of the pitch, which led to a goal for the opponent. How would you describe that situation?
- Honestly, my sincerity is that throughout my football career, I’ve always dreamed of playing for the national team in the starting lineup. You know, my debut was a disaster. In the game against Sweden, I made a major mistake after coming on as a substitute, and that really shook me. I kept replaying it in my mind. As you mentioned, I started the match well, and my performance was normal until that error. However, one mistake overshadowed everything. Perhaps that mistake is why my national career is now in question. I don’t know how to explain it. I have no words to say. I apologize to everyone. This moment will haunt me like a nightmare for the rest of my life.
- After the match, Fernando Santos said in the press conference that we should support you, but just minutes after the mistake, he substituted you. Did his substitution affect you negatively?
- Honestly, after making that mistake, it felt like the world had fallen apart, so being substituted was only natural. Fernando Santos was the one who gave me my first chance in the national team, and I’ll always be grateful to him. I also thank our head coach for his kind words in the press conference.
- The Azerbaijan national team seems to be in a difficult position, and as time passes, the situation is only getting worse. How do you think the team will overcome this? Who or what could help?
- I don’t really know what to say about this. All I can say is that we, as players, need to be more responsible and more determined. Technical errors happen in football. We can compensate for them with desire and character.
- The national team’s camp is now over, and you’ve gone to Egnatia. Will the poor results with the national team, the pressure from fans, and the football community affect your performance at the club?
- Yes, I’m already in Albania. Tomorrow, I will join the club's camp. I will try not to let the episode affect my performance here. But forgetting it so easily won’t be that simple.
- The opponents of the Azerbaijan national team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers are now clear: Ukraine, Iceland, and France. What is the goal in this group? Do you think it’s possible to score points?
- The strength and level of our opponents are well-known. However, I believe we will manage to score points. I don’t think we’ll go without any.
- 20 years ago, we faced France in the "Auxerre Tragedy." Fans and the football community are worried about this upcoming match. Do you think things will have improved by the time we play France, and will we be able to achieve a respectable result?
- It’s hard to say anything definitive at this point. France is one of the top 5 teams in the world. Playing against them is difficult for all teams. But football is full of surprises. I hope we can create one of those surprises ourselves.
Idman.biz
