Report.az
Elmar Bakhshiyev, head coach of "Araz-Nakhchivan", gave an interview to "Report". The specialist touched upon the team's preparations and talked about transfer plans. He also shared his thoughts on their potential in the UEFA Conference League, where they will be performing for the first time.
- How are the preparations going?
- We started preparations yesterday, not all team members are here. We did not start training with a full squad because the players arrived at different times.
- Have the legionnaires joined the team?
- Of the new ones, only Chance Simakala has joined the team.
- You signed a contract with an Israeli legionnaire earlier. Was he 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 plan to attract in total?
- We have not yet fully staffed 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 can't say by number. But there are several positions that we need to bring players in.
- Will there be any departures from the team again?
- It depends on the transfers. If we don't come to an agreement 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 than parting ways with someone.
- 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 plan to hold all the games in Turkey?
- That's our plan. We can organize a training match 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 go in the UEFA Conference League?
- There is no concept of experienced or inexperienced in modern football. If we are well staffed and prepared, it will not be felt that we are inexperienced. 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.
- A number 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 whatever is in fate.
- According to the statistics recently announced by the Professional Football League, "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.
