Sport24.az
An interview with Hojjat Haghverdi, a football player of "Sumgayit", to Sport24.az
- You defeated "Zaqatala" in the II qualifying round of the Azerbaijan Cup. What can you say about the game?
- I am glad that we won. Considering that we played four days ago and traveled for several hours, we were a little tired, but our teammates helped each other and we emerged victorious from the match.
- Do you think there is a difference in the level between the representatives of the I League and the Premier League clubs?
- I think there is a big difference in terms of quality and conditions, but I also know that there are one or two good teams in the I League. Overall, the difference is still very large.
- You lost to "Zira" away in the IX round of the Premier League. What do you think was the reason for the defeat?
- The opponent played better than us in the first half and, unfortunately, we conceded a goal. But we were more dominant in the second half and I think we could have scored. In my opinion, a draw would have been a fairer result. In any case, "Zira" is a good team and has quality players. We gave them only two real opportunities during the whole game, and they took advantage of one of them.
- "Sumgayit" is in 6th place with 14 points after 9 rounds. Are you satisfied with this result?
- It's too early to look at the standings. We have collected good points so far, but there are still many games ahead and the point difference is small. Overall, everything is going well for us so far.
- In the next round, you will face "Araz-Nakhchivan", which is in the upper ranks. What are your expectations from that match?
- Araz-Nakhchivan" is a good team, they have experienced and strong players in attack. Of course, it will be a difficult game, but we will do our best to achieve a good result.
- What do you think "Sumgayit" can achieve this season? What should be the goal?
- We must know that at least 5-6 teams are superior to us in terms of budget and player quality, and that is a fact. We have good players and a team, but this is not enough to compete with some teams. In my opinion, we need at least 5-6 new players for fair competition. The season is long, there will be fatigue and injuries, we may face problems with such a scarce squad, and the competition will be difficult. We also understand that the club's budget is more limited than many teams. Nevertheless, the club has tried to improve the conditions for us as much as possible. Despite all this, we have achieved good results so far and we will try to continue it.
- You have also been invited to the Azerbaijan national team at various times. Aykhan Abbasov has been appointed as the head coach. Do you want to be in the national team again?
- When I was called to the national team, I always did my best to succeed. I have also worked with Aykhan Abbasov and I know that he is a very good coach. In addition, his relationship with the players is also very good, which is very important. Unfortunately, I missed all the pre-season preparations this year and I think I am still 50 percent in shape. But my physical condition is improving every day and of course I would like to play in the national team again.
