Idman.biz reports that the Secretary General of the Azerbaijan Minifootball Federation, Orkhan Huseynov, gave an interview to Report:
– Azerbaijan has become world champion for the first time in its history. Congratulations! What are your emotions and impressions?
– Even the word "great" doesn’t fully describe it. The feelings are incredible. It’s been a tiring period for us because, unlike previous tournaments where we only worked with the national team, this time we were responsible for all participating teams, the organization, the tournament's progress, and many other details. It was challenging, but it brought valuable experience. The final result helped us forget the exhaustion. The World Championship in Baku will be remembered fondly.
– Representatives of international bodies and officials praised the organization of the tournament. You've taken part in several competitions before—what made the Baku tournament different?
– Everything from the venue to the smallest details was on another level. The tournament in Baku was the best I’ve seen so far. Officials and players from the participating countries were very pleased.
– President Ilham Aliyev met with the national team after their victory. What were your impressions of that meeting?
– That meeting was an even greater achievement than winning the world championship. After claiming the title, this was our biggest wish. It was a very pleasant and sincere meeting. We feel incredibly happy. Normally, when you win a trophy, that's the final step. But for us, the true culmination came with yesterday’s meeting. Not everyone gets the opportunity to meet the head of state. On behalf of myself and our federation, I thank the President for taking the time to meet us. We took a memorable photo together, and he wished us success in future tournaments. We’re truly grateful.
– Beerbasha Baku won the Champions League at club level, and now the national team is a world champion. What are your next goals?
– Our goal in every tournament is to achieve the best possible result. That doesn’t change. We’re not satisfied with what we’ve achieved so far—we want to stay at the top. We don’t intend to give up the title and will now focus on defending it.
– No team in minifootball history has won the world championship twice in a row. Can Azerbaijan break that record?
– That’s our next goal. We’ll compete in the 2026 European Championship. We were European champions in 2022 but failed to retain the title. Our aim now is to reclaim that spot. In September, the Champions League will be held in Sofia, Bulgaria. Both Beerbasha Baku and Zira will take part. We want at least one of them to bring the trophy home. Beerbasha Baku will try to defend its title. We’re working for success both at the national team and club level.
Idman.biz
