"Montenegrin players were insulting the referee," said Vugar Mustafayev, assistant coach of Azerbaijan’s U21 national team, in a statement to Sport24.az regarding the altercation following the match against Montenegro.
Mustafayev explained that the incident began when Montenegrin players protested aggressively toward the main referee after the final whistle of the goalless draw in Sumgayit, Idman.biz reports.
“Our players stepped in to protect the referee and tried to push the opponents away,” he said. “Rashad Ahmadov is one of us. The team couldn’t stay silent when they saw pressure being put on him. That’s how it all escalated. When we went to separate them, their reaction was aggressive toward us too.”
“Admittedly, it’s an unfortunate situation,” he added, “but in moments like this, we must stand united and protect each other as Azerbaijanis.”
The match between Azerbaijan and Montenegro U-21 ended 0-0, but tensions boiled over at the end.
Idman.biz
