Idman.biz
Nigar Mirzaliyeva is the first Azerbaijani football player to play in the Bundesliga. A month ago, she transferred from the Russian club "Zenit" to the German team "Hamburg". Having already appeared in two matches in Germany, the football player is currently in Azerbaijan for the national team's training camp on the eve of the World Cup qualifying match against North Macedonia.
In an interview with Idman.Biz, she shared her impressions of her first games in the Bundesliga.
"Women's football in Germany has really developed a lot. We see great support from the fans at every match, the stands are full. It is very nice to see that women's football is so loved in Europe. This gives us extra strength and we play well," she said.
Mirzaliyeva also evaluated her performance in the Bundesliga: "I didn't play badly. But there is the issue of adapting to the team - in this regard, certain difficulties arise, because I don't know the language. But I thank the club management for not making me feel like a stranger. My teammates and coaching staff support me. I think everyone experiences difficulties for the first time - both in terms of language and when moving to an unfamiliar country. It's difficult, but you get used to it later."
The football player said that she will start learning German after the national team's training camp. Until then, the assistant coach and a teammate from Turkey have been helping her to overcome the language barrier in Hamburg.
"I communicate and make friends with all the girls in the same way. They ask me about our football, our national team. I show them videos and pictures, and talk about our games," said our interviewee.
She added that the team's sincere attitude towards her broke the stereotype about Germans: "I had heard that Germans are a bit rude and serious. But I didn't feel that towards myself. The team treats me very well, they are friendly, they have united like a family. I would say that there are both good and bad people everywhere, but I have only met good people in my environment."
Mirzaliyeva also emphasized that she liked the city: "It's the first time I've lived and played in Europe, now I'm adapting. But Hamburg is a beautiful and interesting city."
At the same time, the football player did not hide the difficulty of being away from her loved ones: "I miss my relatives very much, it's a bit hard for me. But I have goals, so I have to be patient. I want to work harder on myself. My goal is to play in stronger top clubs. I think the road to success will pass through Hamburg."
