Interview of Sayyad Aran, Member of Parliament from the 82nd Imishli-Saatli electoral district, with Sportnet.az.
Do you have time to watch “Imishli’s” matches?
– I manage to watch the games on television. Unfortunately, our team cannot play its home games at the Heydar Aliyev Stadium in Imishli. The stadium is in such a poor condition that it’s impossible to play there. I used to be a goalkeeper for the district team, so I’m very close to football. Since 1966, I’ve watched every World Cup, as well as the European Championships and the Olympic Games. In short, I’ve always been connected to football and have certain knowledge and experience about the game, I’ve seen what’s happening in world football. I also told club president Kamran Eyyubov that I will definitely go to the team’s home games, as long as they don’t coincide with Parliament sessions on Tuesdays and Fridays. I don’t have the right to skip parliamentary meetings to attend a game.
Starting this month, “Imishli” will hold its home games in Guba...
– I’ll try to go to Guba too, because it’s a matter of principle for me. I strongly wanted our team to reach the Premier League. I also said this during the meeting of Imishli District Executive Head Elchin Rzayev with the team. When the “Imishli” team was still called “Araz,” they qualified for the lower league of the USSR Championship. But because we didn’t have a proper stadium at that time, even though we finished second, the third-placed team from Lankaran took our spot and played in the union championship instead. So, Imishli has very rich football traditions in this regard.
Did you watch the Premier League Round 3 match where “Imishli” won 1:0 against “Sabah” away?
– Yes, I did. The issue was that “Sabah” underestimated “Imishli” as debutants. They thought the players were inexperienced youngsters. But “Imishli” showed character and great determination, scoring the winning goal in the 67th minute. Abbas Agazada positioned himself well and struck a powerful shot to secure victory. So far, the results aren’t bad: 3 games, 1 win, 1 draw, 1 defeat. But let’s not forget that against “Turan Tovuz,” we conceded a goal just 3 seconds before the end. That was due to the players’ lack of experience. I pointed this out and told the players that established teams like “Qarabag,” “Sabah,” “Zira,” “Neftchi,” and others always have certain tactics. Near the end of the match, they switch to a “Plan B” or “Plan C,” they push through the weaker flanks, advance into the penalty area, and find a free player who scores while defenders are caught off guard. This is something even famous world clubs do. That’s how we concede unnecessary goals. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen again.
What can you say about Qarabag’s Champions League group stage opponents?
– Their last match will be in England against Liverpool. But the team we can realistically compete with is Denmark’s Copenhagen, because we eliminated them in the 2017 Champions League playoffs. They’re the only team we might stand a chance against. Let’s see how we perform at home against the others. But Liverpool and Chelsea are giants. The first time we reached the group stage, Chelsea defeated us heavily in both matches (0:6, 0:4). Players often complain about long travels. In Europe, countries are very close, and teams sometimes travel by bus. That works to their advantage. But for teams from Azerbaijan or Kazakhstan, long travel distances create fatigue.
What standout features do you see in Qarabag’s play?
– I think Qarabag’s style already shows elements of the European football school. Their “one-twos” are executed at a very high level. But I’ll also mention a sad fact: Abdellah Zoubir looks exhausted. He no longer beats opponents like before, or maybe defenders have learned his moves. He’s one of the key players in midfield, and midfielders play a crucial role in football. Strikers are given the ball to score, but midfielders work hard to create combinations and deliver passes. That’s a heavy responsibility. And now Zoubir seems tired.
But remember, Rashad Sadygov played for Qarabag until he was 38...
– Yes, but do you remember Rashad Sadygov’s last games? He made mistakes! Gurban Gurbanov couldn’t tell him to retire, and he himself didn’t realize it was time to step away. He played two years too long, and his errors led to goals against us. Zoubir shouldn’t let that happen. He needs to find new ways to approach the goal, because defenders already know his tricks. Otherwise, he’ll lose the ball. Look at the Champions League playoff against Ferencvaros. We were simply lucky. Zoubir wasn’t delivering good passes, but Leandro Andrade made a fine assist and Zoubir scored. The opponent was caught off guard and conceded a second goal. Although they scored two after halftime, it wasn’t enough. One side of it was our fans’ support, but honestly, luck also played a big role. Otherwise, the score could have been very different.
Still, “Qarabag” had plenty of goal chances too...
– True, but in some episodes, luck was against us. For example, Emmanuel Addai should have passed to Nariman Akhundzada, but instead shot far off target. Earlier, Marco Jankovic had a similar situation but also went for the shot instead of passing. Why do they think they must score themselves? It’s not necessary! The team’s interests come first. I told Imishli’s players the same: individual stars sometimes can’t achieve anything for the team. Look at Cristiano Ronaldo, he can’t make Al Nassr champions in Saudi Arabia. Similarly, Kylian Mbappe struggled to shine at Real Madrid. At PSG, players used to play for him, but after he left, they became stars themselves and won the Champions League and UEFA Super Cup together. I told Imishli’s players: don’t try to create a star team, play for each other, and strive for victories. Winning is what matters, not who scores.
What are your thoughts on the national team’s upcoming World Cup 2026 qualifiers against Iceland and Ukraine?
– (sighs deeply) If the national team loses, I will raise the issue in Parliament and nominate Gurban Gurbanov. I’m old enough and experienced enough to say with confidence that the only coach capable of managing our national team is Gurban Gurbanov. He should remain with “Qarabag” but also coach the national team.
But Gurbanov has already been head coach of the national team once...
– Yes, but they didn’t let him work properly. That shouldn’t happen again. No one should interfere in the national team coach’s work. He should decide the lineup, tactics, and strategy. No interference. Today, the only candidate for the national team is Gurban Gurbanov. He’s fully ready, as long as no one interferes. Last time, he faced too much meddling and left out of frustration. Only Gurban Gurbanov can revive the team. He should be given both “Qarabag” and the national team.
How do you assess current head coach Fernando Santos’ work?
– Under Santos, the national team drew once against a very weak side (1:1 vs Estonia), and lost all the rest. In total: 14 games, 2 draws, 12 defeats. Not a single win. That’s a disgrace. If we keep losing this many games, what use is he? I will raise the issue in Parliament that Gurban Gurbanov should take charge of the national team. Last time, he wasn’t allowed to work freely. And also, it’s wrong to demand quick results from a coach. Gurbanov was only given one year, while Berti Vogts was allowed six years! Yet Vogts achieved nothing. Gurbanov should be given at least 2–3 years. You can expect results then. He can build a strong national team. No one else can. Foreign coaches don’t understand our mentality, inner qualities, or characteristics. Gurbanov does. He can create a perfect national team. Now, if Santos loses to Iceland, I will publicly disgrace him, you’ll all hear it.
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