Idman.biz
The recent successes of Manchester United in the English Premier League (EPL) have not left indifferent Rauf Mammadov, one of the leading grandmasters of Azerbaijan, a loyal and active fan of the "Red Devils" for many years.
According to Idman.Biz, in the last two rounds of the EPL, Manchester United defeated the championship leaders Manchester City (2:0) and Arsenal (3:2). Thanks to these results, under the leadership of new head coach Michael Carrick, the Red Devils rose to fourth place in the standings and even got a chance to join the championship fight.
According to Rauf Mammadov, an Azerbaijani grandmaster and Manchester United fan, the club's new head coach played a big role in these victories.
"Manchester United's last two victories made me very happy. It is also nice that the coach is one of our own. I think Solskjaer was also one of us. The club wanted both results and the game, and now they have them. That's why I'm glad that Carrick is in charge of Manchester United. As for whether the team will fight for the championship, I think the main goal this season is to qualify for the Champions League again," Mammadov said.
It should be noted that the media previously reported about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's possible return to Manchester United. However, the club's management preferred Carrick in their choice.
Speaking about his plans for this year, the grandmaster said that he is currently focusing all his attention on preparing for the Azerbaijani championship to be held in February. Let us remind you that Rauf Mammadov will compete in this tournament as the current champion.
"I am currently preparing for the Azerbaijani championship and will try to repeat last year's success. The tournament will certainly be different from last year, as Teymur Rajabov, Vasif Durarbeyli and Vugar Asadli will not participate. Nevertheless, the championship will be very strong and competitive," the chess player noted.
Rauf Mammadov also commented on the game of Azerbaijani grandmaster Aydin Suleymanli, who is currently participating in the traditional Tata Steel Challengers tournament in Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands. Aydin is currently in third place, half a point behind the leading pair.
"Aydin is great, he has been fighting for first place for the second year. I wish him success and I believe that he will eventually win," R.Mammadov added.
It should be reminded that last year Aydin Suleymanli shared 1st-2nd places in the Wijk aan Zee tournament, but was satisfied with the second place according to additional indicators.
