Courtesy: News.AZ


Game of Azerbaijani futsal team shouldn’t depend on one player

by Elmir Aliyev

Thu 19 January 2012

President of the Azerbaijani Futsal Federation Zaur Akhundov commented on the performance of the Azerbaijani national team in the Baku int'l tournament and assessed its chances in the final round of the European championship.
“As you know, Croatia will host the final round of the European championship in late January. Three participants of Euro-2012 – Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Turkey joined the fifth Baku international tournament which has run recently in our capital. Another participant- Uzbekistan will join the Asian championship in May. Thus, the Baku tournament was a good training for the teams. Fans witnesses interesting and tense matches and the guessed were satisfied with high-level organization of the event”, Akhundov told the website of the AFFA (Azerbaijan Football Federations Association), News.Az reported.

Talking about the game of the Azerbaijani team which tanked second following Ukraine, Akhundov said:

“In the last 4-5 months, we have had some problems in the squad. As you know, Biro Jade was traumatized. I also worry about Andrei Tveryankin, Vitaliy Borisov, Rizvan Farzaliyev and Rajab Farajzade who are not in satisfactory condition. We have left little time for the beginning of the European championship. They should work very painstakingly to suitably perform at the event.

We together with coaches and players watched and discussed the matches of the Azerbaijani team at the Baku tournament. The defense line was very week. I can say that we couldn’t build defense. The main reason here I think is that the player didn’t play together much. Before, they acted in the same club (Araz). And now they play in different clubs. It seems that the players don’t understand each other in the playground. It’s the main deficient. The time is going. The team should come to the line where it was in Euro-2010”.

Assessing the chances of the team in the qualifying round, where it will face Portugal and Serbia, the president of the Federation said:

“The first match is always difficult. In the starting match, we will play against Portugal. We lost to them in the last 3-4 matches. They defeated us in the penalty shootout at Euro-2010 in Hungary. Leader of the Portuguese team Rikardinhio wasn’t present at that match but now he will.

We again will not have Biro Jade. However, our players should understand that game shouldn’t depend on one player. All should play and struggle until the last second.

The chances of the teams in the qualifying round are practically the same. In the remaining time, we should improve the physical, technical, tactical and psychological readiness and perform successfully”.

Akhundov thanked the AFFA for the high organization of the Baku tournament and also thanked the fans who supported the team until the last second.




Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com