“No matter the opponents, I believe Gurban Gurbanov’s team will be fully prepared and will strive to delight their fans in every match.”
AFFA Coaches Committee chairman Vagif Sadygov said this to Telegraf while evaluating Qarabag’s UEFA Champions League opponents, Idman.biz reports.
Sadygov believes matches against top-five league representatives will be challenging: “Some of the opponents are already familiar to us. We will have tough games against Chelsea, Liverpool, and Napoli. This is both a responsible and honorable tournament. Qarabag will fight until the end without losing its identity. All the teams coming to Baku we have faced before. Some we defeated, some defeated us. Last season, although we lost 0-3 to Ajax in the UEFA Conference League group stage, we played far better than them.”
He said Qarabag is a wise team: “I think we see a completely different Qarabag now. Not only on the field but also the results on the table reflect the team’s performance. I believe we will see a squad aiming for victory with the support of fans, regardless of the opponent. I wouldn’t single out any opponent. We have previously beaten Copenhagen, but much time has passed, and both they and Qarabag have changed a lot. I believe exciting games await us. Starting with the home matches, I am confident we will earn points.”
Vagif Sadygov also spoke about potential transfers for the “Qarabag”: “I think if new players join, they will need time to adapt to the team. Everyone wants a new forward, but Nariman Akhundzada has shown his qualities well. A player capable of competing with him should be transferred, but we need Nariman to play more. He must stay in form to help the national team in upcoming matches.”
Qarabag will face Liverpool (England), Benfica (Portugal), Napoli (Italy), and Athletic (Spain) away, and Chelsea (England), Eintracht (Germany), Ajax (Netherlands), and Copenhagen (Denmark) at home in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
Idman.biz
