“This is a very important match for us,” said Qarabag head coach Gurban Gurbanov at a press conference ahead of the Azerbaijan Cup final against Sabah.
Idman.biz reports that Gurbanov emphasized the emotional and symbolic significance of such decisive fixtures:
“Matches like this bring everyone together and create a festive atmosphere. Besides the supporters of both teams, there will also be many neutral fans watching. Winning the cup adds extra prestige. Even though we’ve already secured the league title, we still want to deliver a strong performance.”
Commenting on opponents Sabah, he added:
“They’re currently fifth in the league, but in my view, they deserve to be higher. They’re a well-organized and quality team.”
On recent difficulties against Sabah under coach Vasili Berezutski:
“They’ve been very disciplined in defense during our matches. Some of their players have high individual quality, which causes us problems. As the league leaders, we know every team is more motivated when playing against us—just as we once were when facing stronger sides in the past or now in European competitions.”
On the choice of Sumgayit’s Mehdi Huseynzade Stadium for the final:
“I view it positively. It’s good both for the region and the fans. There’s always been great passion for football in Sumgayit, and we’ve seen that in our games there.”
On preparing for potential penalties:
“We haven’t focused on it too seriously. But during training, I sometimes create situations where the players end up taking a penalty or two—without even realizing it.”
The final will take place on May 31.
Aytaj Sahed
Idman.biz
