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"It was very nice, there was a great atmosphere. Before the result, the atmosphere here was very attractive. This once again shows that there is interest in football in Azerbaijan and that minifootball is also loved."
Idman.biz reports that these words were said by Qurban Gurbanov, the head coach of "Qarabag", in his statement to the futbolinfo.az website.
The experienced specialist evaluated the victory of the Azerbaijani national team over Romania in the 1/8 final stage of the minifootball world championship held in Baku: "Our national team's victory was fantastic. It was like a real football final. We defeated the last world champion in a penalty shootout. I really enjoyed the game. Holding the tournament in Baku gives us a certain advantage. But this is sport and any result can happen here. It is the second game that I am watching from the stadium. It is felt that our football players are excited. This is the first time that such a competition is held in Baku. Taking this opportunity, I would like to thank Orkhan Mammadov, the president of the Azerbaijan Minifootball Federation. Perhaps many "look down" on this competition, but overall, I would like to see the organization, the interest in minifootball and the fans' confidence in big football as well."
Gurbanov also touched upon the upcoming friendly matches of our national football team: "I wish them success too. Our expectations are always high. We always expect the best. Regardless of the results, we must always be with our national team."
The 53-year-old coach commented on the question "Why can't we see such fan support in big football?" as follows: "We have it in our games (laughs). True, fan support is weak in championship matches. But they come to support us in "Qarabag"'s European Cup games. I hope this will happen too. Today it is possible to gather 4-5 thousand fans in such a beautiful arena. In the future, it will be possible to attract them to stadiums as well. In football, every team has its own fans. Some fans come not because of the result, but simply because of their team. If we lose on one side, we can eliminate some problems by winning on the other side. If the fans are in the stadiums, they will support us and give strength to the players. If these problems are solved, others will be solved as well. We just need to activate the fans a little more. Of course, we must attract them with our game and work."
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