Gurban Gurbanov: "We controlled the game for 90 minutes"

Following the 20th round match of the Misli Premier League between Qarabağ and Turan Tovuz (1:2), a press conference was held with our team's head coach, Gurban Gurbanov. The experienced coach shared his thoughts on the match:

“We did not want to lose. Unfortunately, we were defeated. However, my players managed to control the game for almost 90 minutes. It’s just that sometimes football works this way—everything can change in a single moment. For the first goal we conceded, five opposing players surrounded our goalkeeper, preventing him from moving. One was pushing him with their hand, another with their body. So where’s the foul in this case? As for the second goal, instead of awarding us a corner kick, a free kick was given to the opponent, leading to an attack and a goal. It seems like referees handle such incidents too casually. All we ask is for accurate decisions in these moments.”

The head coach also commented on the team’s preparation for this match following their UEFA Europa League game against Romania's FCSB: “Our players were psychologically well-prepared. They trained well for this game. Of course, we could have played better. But we ask for understanding—we are under a lot of pressure.”

Gurban Gurbanov also shared his views on Qarabag’s upcoming away game against Greece’s Olympiacos on January 30, the final round of the UEFA Europa League group stage: “We have one game left, and we must prepare well. Olympiacos is a very strong opponent. They were the UEFA Conference League champions last year. This season, they are one of the fastest-playing teams. Our players are improving their form with every match. I believe we will perform comfortably because there will inevitably be less pressure.”