“We don’t know the opponent or the players in their squad very well, so the first match of the season is always difficult. You don’t know what style they will play, which makes it challenging.”
Idman.biz reports that these were the words of Rustam Mammadov, head coach of First League club Zagatala, in an interview with Sport24.az.
Commenting on the team’s opening match against Jabrayil, Mammadov said: “The opponent had young, eager players. It’s a team with high fighting spirit. I am satisfied with my team’s performance. Yes, we made mistakes and there are many areas to work on. Our squad was assembled very late, and some players had only trained for 2–3 days before the match. They haven’t fully adapted to the team yet. We have physical and tactical challenges. We will improve game by game. If we won, we are satisfied with the result. I am pleased that the players followed the instructions given. However, I am not satisfied with their physical condition, which is beyond their control. As I said, we assembled late and had little time. It takes time for players to adapt to each other. The championship will be intense. In recent years, the league has been highly competitive; there are no clear favorites or underdogs.”
The Zagatala vs. Jabrayil match ended with a 1:0 victory for the home team.
Idman.biz
