Idman.biz
"At first glance, there is no weak team at the moment."
This was stated by Qismat Aliyev, defender of the Azerbaijan national football team and "Zira" team, winner of the "FIFA Series - 2026" international tournament, in an interview with AZERTAC.
We present that interview.
- The Azerbaijan national team became the winner of the tournament organized by FIFA. What are your thoughts on the team's matches against Saint Lucia (6:1) and Sierra Leone (1:1, p.9:8) during the competition...?
- This tournament was very useful for our national team. The Nations League is coming up. These games help the head coach form an opinion about the selection of players. I think there were moments that worked and didn't work. After that, there should be a summer training camp. We also have two friendly matches there. Our main goal is to prepare for the Nations League in optimal form.
- Do you think the opponents were easy, or was our national team strong?
- For example, although we are not on the same level as a team like France, we fought. If we are wearing the national uniform, regardless of the opponent, we try to put everything we have to the maximum in that tournament. Although we won easily in the first game, we ourselves saw in the second match that the opponent was really tough. In the end, even with penalties, we won and became the winner of the tournament.
- After a long series of failures, how important are these consecutive victories for the team psychologically, and can this be considered a turning point?
- We have had a long period of failure. Winning these two games is, in my opinion, a turning point. There are also friendly games in the summer. We want to break the winless streak and continue with a winning streak. We only want to go to the Nations League with victories. I think these games are useful for us.
- What can you say about your opponents in the Nations League - Lithuania and Liechtenstein?
- At first glance, there is no weak team at the moment. No team can win easily. Lithuania, one of our opponents, did not play badly in the first half of the match against the Georgian national team. The team was fighting head-to-head with a team like Georgia. Although they lost 0:2 in the end, they are really tough opponents. So, I think that both games are important for us and our goal is clear. We want to move up from League D to League C.
- How do you assess the chances of "Zira", which is currently in 4th place in the Premier League with 42 points, for European cups?
- We have a cup match ahead of us. We will play with a strong team. We want to prepare well and finish the game with a win. At the same time, we also have goals in the championship. In general, the situation is such that the teams below us are 3–5 points behind. I think it's difficult to say anything definite now. Whoever prepares better and is more careful in the next games will win the ticket to the European Cups.
- Are you thinking about continuing your career in Europe?
- I have no thoughts yet at the moment. We have very important games ahead with "Zira". I'm not thinking about it at the moment. My contract will expire at the end of the season, after which we will consider it.
- Have you had talks with the club about a new contract?
- Yes, we have had talks. But I am focused on the results we will achieve until the end of the season. I hope that the results will be as we want.
