Sport24.az
"Araz-Nakhchivan" head coach Elmar Bakhshiyev spoke to "Report". Sport24.az presents this interview to you.
- How are the preparations going?
- We started preparations yesterday, not all team members are here. Since the players arrived at different times, we did not start training with a full squad.
- Have the legionnaires joined the team?
- Of the new players, only Chance Simakala has joined the team.
- You had previously signed a contract with an Israeli legionnaire. Has he been able to come to Azerbaijan?
- No, he is still in his country, we are waiting for him.
- If he cannot come, can the contract with him be terminated?
- No, this is not a matter that depends on him. Therefore, we are in a waiting position. We hope it will be resolved soon.
- You have renewed the contract with 12 players, and you also have two new transfers. What are your transfer plans, how many legionnaires do you intend to attract in total?
- We have not yet fully completed the team. Our search continues. We have to fill the gaps in some positions.
- In general, how many legionnaires do you plan to attract to the team?
- I cannot say by numbers. But there are several positions where we need to bring in players.
- Will there be more departures from the team?
- It depends on the transfers. If we don't agree with any player, he will probably leave. Our squad is not so wide that we can send someone away. Therefore, we are thinking more about taking new players, not parting ways with anyone.
- When will your opponents in the test matches be determined?
- Negotiations are currently underway. We plan to hold at least three games. I guess they will provide it.
- Do you intend to hold all the games in Turkey?
- That's our plan. We can organize a training game among ourselves during the training camp in Azerbaijan. We will hold test matches in Turkey.
- "Araz-Nakhchivan" will compete in the European Cups for the first time. As an inexperienced team, how far do you think you can advance in the UEFA Conference League?
- There is no concept of experienced or inexperienced in modern football. If we complete and prepare well, our inexperience will not be felt. Let's not rush to think about how far we will go from now on. We now want the team to be completed as soon as possible.
- Some of your potential opponents are known. What are your thoughts on the draw?
- We are not thinking about it at the moment. We have to accept what is in our destiny.
- According to the statistics announced by the Professional Football League some time ago, "Araz-Nakhchivan" had the fewest fans attending its games last season. But you will need more fans in the European Cups. What would you like to say about this?
- I don't want to dwell on the statistics. Everyone knows that if this team played in Nakhchivan, we would probably be the first in terms of statistics. The current situation shows that the number of fans was low because we played in Baku. If we return to our hometown, I believe that we will be ahead in terms of fans. As for the European Cups, we will represent Azerbaijan. For this reason, I believe that "Araz-Nakhchivan" will receive great support in the UEFA Conference League.
