Azerbaijan’s volleyball club Xilasedici have been eliminated from the Challenge Cup after losing 1:3 away to Belgium’s Lindemans in the second leg of the round of 32.
Idman.Biz spoke to Xilasedici head coach Jalil Jalilov, who shared his thoughts on the result and the team’s overall performance in the tournament.
“First of all, we should not have lost in Baku, especially by a 0:3 scoreline. That defeat seriously reduced our chances of progressing to the next round. Even so, in Belgium our players fought as much as they could and even managed to win the first set. Unfortunately, we did not have the strength for more,” Jalilov said. “I do not want to make excuses, but visa issues also affected us, as we were unable to take our new players from Turkey and Venezuela to the return match. Without doubt, if they had been available, our team would have looked stronger.”
Despite the elimination, the head coach remains optimistic about the future of the project.
“For a club that was founded just two years ago, this was invaluable experience. Very few people expected us to get past such a serious opponent as Romania’s Steaua, but we managed to do it. This year we will again try to pleasantly surprise our fans. Moreover, the leadership of the Ministry of Emergency Situations has promised to continue financial support and assist us in the transfer market. Their belief in us gives additional motivation. I am confident that new successes for Xilasedici are not far away,” Jalilov added.
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