Idman.biz
"We knew the game would be difficult. We played against a strong team, but even though we tried to make some changes, we couldn't be as effective as we wanted."
İdman.biz reports that this was said by Araz-Nakhchivan football player Qara Garayev in his statement to Telegraf after the first match of the third qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League, in which they lost 0:4 at home to Cyprus' Omonia.
According to him, Azerbaijani clubs have not faced such high-level opponents much in recent years: "As I said at the press conference before, this time's Omonia is quite different from the previous ones – with a new head coach, a different philosophy and more quality football players, they have become a more dangerous team. Our team has potential, but the adaptation process is not yet complete. We need a little more time to build a better team. Playing the last 45 minutes with 10 players during our trip to Greece and travel fatigue took their toll. Psychologically, we try to get better every day."
Garayev noted that the absence of Igor Ribeyro, who was suspended with a red card, was also felt. However, he said that they are not looking for excuses: "There is no need to dwell on reasons such as inexperience, carelessness and fatigue. The main thing is that we approach the next games with full professionalism."
The 33-year-old defender also sent a message to the fans, asking them not to despair: "Araz-Nakhchivan has set off with new goals, and we are doing our best to represent Azerbaijani football adequately. Our desire is to make both the Nakhchivan fans and the whole country happy."
İdman.biz
