"There was a great atmosphere and it felt wonderful. Even before considering the result, the energy here was captivating. It once again proves that there's a strong interest in football in Azerbaijan — and that minifootball has its own devoted fanbase."
These remarks came from Qarabag head coach Qurban Qurbanov in an interview with Futbolinfo.az, Idman.biz reports.
The experienced coach shared his thoughts after watching Azerbaijan's thrilling victory over Romania in the Round of 16 of the Minifootball World Cup, held in Baku:
"Our national team’s win was truly spectacular — it felt like a final in full-sized football. We defeated the reigning world champions in a penalty shootout. I genuinely enjoyed every moment of the game.
Hosting the tournament in Baku gives us some advantage, but this is sport — anything can happen. It’s the second match I’ve attended at the stadium, and you can sense the excitement in our players. It’s the first time such a competition is being held in Baku.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Orkhan Mammadov, the President of the Azerbaijan Minifootball Federation. Some may see this as a ‘smaller’ event, but from the perspective of organization, growing interest, and fan enthusiasm — I would love to see this kind of support mirrored in mainstream football too.”
Gurbanov also commented on the national football team’s upcoming friendlies:
"I wish them the best. Our expectations are always high — we hope for the best at every moment. Regardless of results, we must continue to stand behind our national team."
When asked why large-scale football doesn’t enjoy the same passionate fan support, the 53-year-old coach responded with a smile:
"Well, we do get that support in our games (laughs). It's true that league matches sometimes lack a strong crowd presence. But when Qarabag plays in European competitions, fans turn out in force to back us. I’m hopeful things will change.
Today, we saw 4-5 thousand spectators fill this beautiful arena. In the future, we can bring that same energy to our main stadiums. Every football club has its loyal fans. Some don’t care about the result — they show up just for their team.
If we’re losing ground in one area, we can still make up for it in another. When fans are in the stadium, they energize us and strengthen the players. If we solve this challenge, others will follow. We just need to engage fans more — and of course, we must earn their interest with our performances on the pitch.”
Idman.biz
