Turan women's volleyball team head coach Ziya Rajabov has admitted that his side struggled to produce their best performance in the second leg of the CEV Champions League second qualifying round against Croatia's Mladost, despite securing a 3-2 victory.
As reported by İdman.Biz, citing Report.az, the Azerbaijani team's coach highlighted travel fatigue, limited preparation time and the opposition's greater familiarity with one another as key challenges.
"It was a very difficult match. We were tired from travelling, and there was a three-hour time difference between the countries. We also didn't have much time to prepare. Our performance wasn't quite what we wanted," Rajabov said.
"But Mladost are a good team. Our squad has been almost completely rebuilt, while their players have been together for a long time. Their understanding on the court was better. However, our players' experience made the difference. They showed real character."
The Turan coach also accused the Croatian side of attempting to provoke his team, singling out Mladost's Italian head coach Riccardo Boieri for criticism.
"The opposing head coach behaved in a way that was unbecoming of a sports professional. We experienced the complete opposite of the hospitality we had shown them in Tovuz. Their Italian coach, Riccardo Boieri, did not want to accept defeat," he said.
"I want to thank my players. They worked extremely hard. We also received support from the Azerbaijani Embassy in Croatia."
Looking ahead, Rajabov confirmed that Turan will face Bulgarian club Maritsa in the third qualifying round of the CEV Champions League.
"They are also a young team. At the moment, we don't have detailed information about them, but we will analyse Maritsa carefully," the coach added.
Turan's victory keeps the Azerbaijani side in contention for a place in the main stage of Europe's premier women's club volleyball competition.
