Idman.biz
"The first penalty kick awarded to Qarabag's goal by the referee did not look like a penalty".
This was stated by Rauf Aliyev, former striker of Qarabag, in an interview with futbolinfo.az.
We present that interview.
– Did you expect Qarabag to lose to Newcastle with a big score (1:6) in Baku in the first match of the Champions League play-off round? What do you see as the reason for the heavy defeat?
– No, I didn't expect it. Before the game, I didn't think that such a big score defeat would be recorded. The goals conceded in the first minutes of the match changed everything and it was very difficult for our team. Before the match, I said that it would be good if we didn't concede a goal in the first minutes. We know that English representatives are teams that play fast football. As I expected, Newcastle started the match at a high pace. In addition, we had a lot of individual mistakes. We made mistakes in backward passes. I would mention the episodes where Kevin Medina and Dani Boltun lost the ball, we also had other mistakes. These also affected the final result.
– What can you say about the referee's management?
– The first penalty kick awarded to Qarabag's goal by the referee did not look like a penalty. The defender touched the ball with his supporting hand in that episode. We have seen that penalties are not awarded in such episodes in many championships. I don't think it is right to award such a penalty in a tournament like the Champions League.
– Qarabag made a good impression after switching to a 5-man defense line in the second half. Does it mean that we should have started the match against Newcastle with this system, not in the traditional game system?
– Frankly, I don't remember Qarabag starting any game with a 5-man defense line. They may switch to this system during some matches. But I don't remember them playing with 5 defenders from the very beginning of the game. In the second half of the match against Newcastle, maybe the opponents also started to protect themselves. Because they decided the fate of the match, they did not show the pressure of the first half. This is also normal. In addition, Qarabag recovered after the first half. After the break, our team already looked like itself.
– What are your expectations from the return match? Are you afraid that there will be an even bigger defeat in England?
– Qarabag has another difficult game ahead. This time they will face Newcastle on the opponent's field. I hope that there will not be a big defeat in the away match like in Baku.
– How do you think, will Nariman Akhundzade, who was transferred from Qarabag to MLS club Columbus Crew, be able to live a successful legionnaire life?
– As a former striker, I am happy about Nariman's transfer to the US club. Because there was a lot of pressure on him lately. He could no longer cope with that pressure, and it affected his game a lot. I hope his American career will be successful. By performing there, he will be more in the spotlight and may receive offers from countries such as Germany, Spain, and England in the future. He had to start his legionnaire life somewhere. Nariman chose to play in America. We expect good goals from him. I believe that this transition will also be useful for our national team. I wish Nariman success.
