Report.az
Igor Ponomaryov, sports director of "Sabah", gave an interview to "Report". The club official shared his thoughts on the match with "Qarabağ" in the XXII round of the Misli Premier League. Currently, the "owls" lead the standings with 52 points after 21 games. The "stallions", who have played one game less than their opponents, are in second place with 45 points. I.Ponomaryov believes that the upcoming match will cause great interest. However, the 66-year-old football functionary believes that the match will not be decisive in the championship struggle.
- A big game against "Qarabağ" is coming up. What are your thoughts on the match?
- Matches between "Sabah" and "Qarabağ" have always attracted attention with their special significance. I think this is a moment that pleases not only the fans of the two clubs, but also all football fans. Therefore, I think that this game will also be interesting. In my opinion, the fans who come to the stadium to watch the match will not be disappointed from the arena purely from a football point of view.
- Can this game be characterized as a championship duel?
- There are still 3 months until the end of the season. In this regard, I don't think that any meeting can be considered decisive from now on. Both teams have many matches ahead.
- "Qarabağ" conceded 15 goals in the last 3 games in the Champions League. To what extent can the psychological undermining of the opponent's self-confidence benefit "Sabah"?
- The Champions League is a completely different tournament at another level. Therefore, I don't think that those games will have any negative impact on local championship matches.
- Does everyone in "Sabah" already understand that the team is set to win the championship? That is, does everyone in the team understand this responsibility?
- The team is currently only thinking about the next matches. The goal is to prepare as much as possible for each match and improve a little from game to game. Every member of the team is a professional. We see this in the players' and coaching staff's approach to the game, regardless of the opponent.
- "Sabah" has won the most victories and lost the fewest games in the national championship this season. What is the secret of the team's rise?
- The secret of success, as I said before, is that the team does not focus on factors outside the games. Everyone is focused on their work, thinking about improving and preparing better for the next match. This is reflected in the team's results.
- There is no doubt that "Sabah" will play in the European Cups next season. Is the team already set the goal of qualifying for the League stage of the European Cups?
- The championship is still ongoing. We are currently only thinking about the Premier League and the national cup. Of course, every team wants to achieve good results in the European Cups. But for this, you must first get a ticket to the European Cups.
