Former head coach of the Azerbaijani national team: “U-21's opponents in the previous cycle were stronger”

U-21's opponents in the previous cycle were stronger.

This was stated to "Report" by Samir Aliyev, the former head coach of the Azerbaijani national team under 21, while sharing his thoughts on the opponents in the qualifying round of the European Championship.

The specialist said that some of the opponents are not at a very high level:

"There are no weak opponents in the draw. Some teams are ahead of us in terms of football. If we compare, I think U-21's opponents in the previous cycle were stronger. For example, we played a friendly match in Baku with Bulgaria, who are now in our group. They are not at a high level. Also, Gibraltar is not strong. Luxembourg, which was in our group in the previous cycle, was a stronger opponent than Gibraltar. England, Ukraine, and Serbia were also more qualified teams. Of course, Portugal and the Czech Republic are also strong. If I am not mistaken, the Czech Republic qualified for the final stage of the European Championship. They are teams that always play in these stages".

S. Aliyev emphasized that a lot depends on the situation of the Azerbaijani U-21 national team:

"It is clear that Gibraltar cannot be compared to us. But we must treat this opponent with respect and not think that we already have 6 points in our pocket. It is true that it is difficult to achieve serious results in this group in the current situation. However, we gave the team international experience in the previous cycle. I think this will help the players".

It should be noted that in Group B of the qualifying round of the U-21 European Championship, Portugal, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Scotland and Gibraltar will compete. The final stage of the competition will be held in Serbia and Albania in 2027.