Idman.biz
"If we had gone out with veteran football players and just stood back, we would have lost by the same score. Even though we lost, we didn't see any combination as a team, we couldn't even make five consecutive passes. We sat in defense for 90 minutes. It was as if France had come here to train."
These words were spoken by Mahir Shukurov, a veteran football player of the Azerbaijani national team.
The 43-year-old expert, who watched the match from the stadium where the national team lost to France 1:3 in the qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup, explained the reason for the results as follows:
"We know that not all of France's players were playing. They came out with the second team. The game ended with a 3:1 advantage for them. But we got away with it in terms of score. They shouldn't deceive the public. There can be no talk of any development. If there is development, it is at the club level in "Qarabag". There is no development in any other national team from the lower ages to the main team. They are just deceiving the public. We have seen these things, we have been hearing it for years. If they can't do it, they shouldn't talk and deceive people. There is no development, there is no need to wait. We see it, our lower age groups lose with scores of 1:5, 1:6, etc. These age groups will come to the main national team in time, what can you expect from them?!", he said in his statement to "teleqraf".
Shukurov reacted to Shahrudi's opinion that "No one plays in their own club. No one wants to discuss this problem. Everyone is saying, why is Abbas Huseynov in the national team when he doesn't play in the club?" as follows: "I said a few months ago, when the limit was changed, that it was a wrong step. Because all clubs will bring in legionnaires to make money, act as brokers, and Azerbaijani football players will be left out. We are witnessing it today. Let them show which clubs give more chances to Azerbaijani football players. The players who play are not called to the national team. Those who are called are Elvin, Nariman, Toral from "Qarabag". Emin Mahmudov is in "Neftchi". They lifted the limit and made Azerbaijani children miserable. But where should the children who don't play play?".
According to M. Shukurov, there is no need to hope for the League of Nations: "There is no need to hope for anything. As time goes by, the age of the football players playing in the national team increases. There are no football players to replace them. There will be a shortage of football players in a year or two. Therefore, they should not pin their hopes on the League of Nations. No country takes the LN seriously. The main things that are taken seriously are the European and World Championships. Therefore, as long as people who do not know football sit in AFFA, coaches will work, and it will be like this. This is how they will deceive the public, and the end will be such futility."
The veteran football player noted that Aykhan Abbasov will face such results as long as he works: "Ayhan has taken this burden and works there. After a while, some people will stone Aykhan as well. If there is no material, it is impossible to bring Guardiola, whoever you bring. You see, all countries are going forward, we are going backward. At 19, we say he is young, at 25, we say his time has passed, at 30, we say he is old. People are fighting for the League championship in Europe at the age of 18. We still think like this."
