Ruslan Gurbanov on the "Zira" - "Hajduk" match: "It would have been better to face another club"

"I would like Zira to pass the stage, I will support them. The chances are 50/50. If the players correctly implement what Rashad Sadigov said, it will work out."

Sport24.az reports that this was said by former Azerbaijani national team football player Ruslan Gurbanov in an interview with Telegraf, while evaluating the first match between "Zira" and Croatian "Hajduk" in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League.

The 34-year-old player, who played for the Split club 10 years ago, said that he watched the first match, which ended in a 1:1 draw. Gurbanov noted that he supports the "eagles": "I watched the match until the end, no team wanted to lose. But Zira had the opportunity to win and maintain the advantage. I will support them in the next game as well."

Emphasizing that he is closely familiar with Croatian football, Gurbanov emphasized that the return match will be difficult: "Hajduk is the key to Europe, footballers are trained there and sold at a good price. It would have been better to face another club, but what is, is. The return game will be more difficult, in a completely different atmosphere. Because playing in Split is not easy at all. They have the best fans there."

It should be noted that Ruslan Gurbanov played for Hajduk on loan in 2015. The return match between Split and Zira will be held on July 31 at the Polyud Stadium.