Idman.biz
"I had a great time in Azerbaijan. I felt like I was at home."
This was stated by Ermin Zets, a former football player of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team, who once played for Gabala, in an interview with AZERTAC.
He spoke about his time in the regional representative.
We present that interview.
- Are you following the Azerbaijani championship and Gabala's games? The team is not in good shape now...
- Yes, I am following. I see that Gabala has had some problems in recent years. I don't know the exact reasons. When I was there, the club was in very good condition, there were high-level football players in the team. I hope they will stabilize the situation soon and achieve better results.
- How do you remember your life in Azerbaijan?
- I had a great time in Azerbaijan. I felt like I was at home. The people were good, and we had successful results at the club. The city of Gabala had a fascinating nature. The capital Baku is very beautiful.
- What are you doing now?
- I am the president of the NK Iskra club located in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The club was once a big name, but it is going through a difficult period now. My goal is to return the club to its former glory. We are trying to strengthen the work with young people, we have football players with good potential.
- You finished your career early. What was the reason?
- Maybe it was a bit early. I was getting injured often and I didn't want to take the place of a young and promising football player.
- Who are you still friends with in Azerbaijan?
- I am in contact with many football players I used to play with through Instagram. I see that some of them are still playing, I follow them and watch their performances carefully.
- Which is your most memorable game in Gabala?
- The return match against Panathinaikos in the play-off stage of the UEFA Europa League. It was a very tense and interesting match. I had several chances in that match, I could have decided the fate of the game early, but I missed them and I thought to myself, "Now I will be to blame for everything" (laughs). But fortunately, everything ended well. It was a historic result for both Gabala and Azerbaijani football.
- Gabala had strong financial capabilities at that time. It is interesting, how much reward did you receive for qualifying for the group stage of the Europa League?
- I can't say the exact number, but the club was very fair in this matter and we made good earnings. The club management behaved correctly in every way. But I received the biggest reward in Gabala when I beat Panathinaikos.
- Did you receive offers from Azerbaijan after leaving Gabala?
- There was some interest as a football player. But I have not yet received an offer as a sports director or coach. I would like to try myself in this field in Turkey and Azerbaijan.
