Interview with former Azerbaijan national team and Neftchi player Javid Imamverdiyev by AZERTAC.
“Qarabag” will face North Macedonia’s Shkendija today in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round second-leg match. How do you assess their chances?
It will be a tough game. But I believe “Qarabag” will win. The team is gradually getting back into form. The new players are also of good quality. I expect a successful result from the Agdam club today.
Shkendija is a familiar opponent for you. You played against this team in the Europa League while you were with Neftchi. Of course, much has changed since then. What can you say about Macedonian football in general?
North Macedonian football has always been interesting. They have produced good players for Europe. There is a difference between the Shkendija of our time and the current one. We used to struggle a lot in matches against this team.
After the first match, fans expected Qarabag to win by a large margin. However, the victory was by a minimal score...
Nowadays, everyone in the world knows how to play football. Previously, the team favored on paper was expected to win by everyone. But now it’s different. Everything is decided on the field. Even a weaker opponent fights until the end.
Shkendija eliminated Romania’s FCSB in the previous round and played more aggressively against them. But they could not show that against the Agdam club in the first leg. What do you think was the reason?
Because Qarabag is not a weak team. Shkendija can easily beat opponents of their own level, but they can’t show that in matches against our representative. The difference in level becomes evident here. Gurban Gurbanov’s team has managed to make a name for itself in Europe. The Azerbaijani champion now has a certain reputation on the international stage. This is very pleasing.
Do you expect Qarabag to reach the group stage of the Champions League this season?
I believe Qarabag will make it to the group stage again. They have done it once before.
What are your thoughts on your future career?
This season I will again play in the Second League. My new team will be announced in the coming days.
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