Azerbaijani wrestlers were sometimes pressured by foreign referees at the U-23 European Championship held in Zrenjanin, Serbia.
This was stated by experienced referee Vugar Shukurov, who officiated at the competition, in an interview with Report.
He said that there were referees who took a biased position against Azerbaijani wrestlers:
"There were certain unpleasant incidents. I saw that the referees sometimes put pressure on our athletes, there were those who took a biased position. But I tried my best not to allow this. Because I also managed the meetings of the representatives of that country. We tried to explain to them not to be unfair to our athletes. Azerbaijani wrestling referees have made a name for themselves in the world with their fair decisions. They have managed the final matches in every international competition."
You can read the full version of Vugar Shukurov's interview here.