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Interview with Aghaseyid Gasimov, the goalkeeper of the Azerbaijan national team, the winner of the Minifootball World Championship, to Telegraf
- On June 2, you were received by President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of the World Championship. What are your impressions of the meeting?
- This was one of the proudest and most unforgettable days of my life. Meeting with Mr. President as the World Champion in Minifootball was not only a personal success for me, but also a victory for all Azerbaijani youth. The sincerity of Mr. President, the value he gives to youth and sports, further inspired us. During this meeting, I felt that raising our tricolor flag to the heights happens not only on the field, but also in the heart. Today I realized once again: Azerbaijan is a winning country and its children always deserve the peaks!
- When he congratulated the team members separately, the head of state had a short dialogue with you. What did the President say to you?
- Mr. President said, "You are a goalkeeper, and you score goals yourself." I answered "yes." The head of state was referring to the first goal I scored against Montenegro in the semi-final. As he said himself, he watched our last 4 games. He was very sincere with us. We thank him again.
- In general, what would you say about the progress of the World Championship: Which team was your most difficult match against?
- It was a very interesting and difficult World Championship. All our games with our opponents were difficult. I would especially distinguish our game with Romania, the previous world champion. But I am very happy that we were able to win in the penalty shootout and show a worthy result.
- You also participated in the World Championship held in the UAE in 2023. What are the differences between these two world championships?
- The organization of the World Championship in Baku was at a very high level. The fact that the teams came very prepared also attracted attention. In short, a very interesting World Championship was held.
- In the goalkeeper position, both you and Vali Gafarov appeared on the field. Was it difficult for head coach Elshad Guliyev to rotate?
- Of course, Vali is also a very good goalkeeper. They would say before each game who would stand in the goal. We also tried to cope with the burden on us.
- Could you tell us a little more about your professional football career...
- In my childhood, I played in the "Inter" (now "Shamakhi" - ed.) team. At the age of 14, I was transferred to "Karabakh" and was even included in the application form of the Agdam team. I even played for the U-17 and U-19 national teams of Azerbaijan. I just had to leave big football due to my height problem. After the 2022 European Championship, I started to be called to our mini-football national team. In addition, I won the AFFA Region League with the "Gusar" and "Shimal" teams.
- What do you think about your future career?
- I don't know what will happen tomorrow, but for now I am in minifootball. I will do my best for our national team and my club "Zira" as much as I can.
- In return for the World Championship, if it's not a secret, how much reward have you been promised?
- I thank the leadership of the Azerbaijan Minifootball Federation for their great support to us. I can't say anything about it yet, because we haven't received the award yet.
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