Sport24.az
RASHAD QASIMOV
From where to where? Once upon a time, we would watch the games of the teams from Turkey and our other close neighbors that played in the Champions League, rejoice in their victories, and grieve in their defeats. We would compare our clubs with their representatives in our conversations. Now it's the opposite... The Turkish media highlights the successes of "Qarabag", suggesting that the formula for achieving great success with a small budget should be learned from the Aghdam team. The Ukrainian press puts the victory of Gurban Gurbanov's team in the headlines in a competition of titans where they have no representative. And they refer to Gurban as "Iron Man".
I don't want to write about how "Qarabag", which made a name for itself all over Europe last night, disappointed "Benfica". Perhaps the entire Azerbaijan watched the game on screen. Those who couldn't watch at least watched the extensive highlights of the match. I am as sure as my name that when Vangelis Pavlidis increased the difference in the score to 2 goals in the 16th minute, most people thought that Aghdam would be defeated by a large score. But neither Gurban Gurbanov nor his team "broke" from the early goals. On the contrary, it seemed that the two goals conceded made the "cavalry" more courageous. The footballers' "second wind" opened. Zubir recalled his best times, the "Colombian tank" Medina did not allow the opponent's defenders to open their eyes, and Bahlul put his head where he should put his foot. If Pedro Bikalyo, one of the new transfers, was chosen as the best player of the game according to UEFA, Kamilo Duran became one of the main contributors to the victory with one goal and one assist.
With the victory it won in Portugal, "Qarabag" also gave a worthy answer to those who said, "I said, going to the Champions League without transferring a striker is like putting your head on the executioner's block." Gurban Gurbanov trusted his team, the players at his disposal, believed in his coaching skills, and relied on his assistants. He involved those he deemed necessary in the team to avoid unnecessary expenses.
Football is not as simple a game as it seems. Like the unseen part of the iceberg, football also has unseen sides and very subtle nuances. Gurban Hoca understands this very well. First of all, it is very difficult to bring high-level legionnaires to Azerbaijan. The fact that the games of the national championship are held in front of empty stands with some exceptions, the fact that it has not yet fully integrated into European football, and most importantly, the lack of finances makes Azerbaijan uninteresting for famous legionnaires. Let's say it is possible to invite someone to the club by some means, with a high salary. What will it change? At most, it will create an imbalance within the team, which Gurbanov understands well. That's why the head coach wants to see "Qarabag" not as a team built on individuals, but as a system team, and he succeeds in this.
It is possible that in the next matches "Qarabag" will not repeat the same heroism and will remain longing for victory in the world's most prestigious tournament. Let it be, the fact that the representative of a non-football country like Azerbaijan started the main stage of the Champions League with a victory and made the whole world talk about "Qarabag" is a history in itself. Therefore, gentlemen, it is necessary to enjoy this victory and savor the success until the next game. Many thanks to those who gave us 90 minutes that brought excitement and joy at the end.
