Following Qarabag's 6-1 defeat to Newcastle United in the UEFA Champions League play-off first leg, head coach Gurban Gurbanov addressed the media. Here is a summary of his key points:

On the heavy defeat: "Unfortunately, such defeats happen in top-level football. The Champions League is a different level where certain results are unavoidable. In boxing terms, we were knocked out early on by the first goal, the second, and the penalty. My players struggled to recover mentally, and we must acknowledge the physical and tactical quality of a team like Newcastle."

On the fans and the experience: "I want to thank our fans. Despite being 5-0 down at halftime, they supported us until the end. This shows our unity. We have seen what 'big football' truly is here and in Liverpool. We shouldn't be discouraged; our players have come a long way and felt the atmosphere of the Champions League until February. This experience makes football more popular in Azerbaijan."

On the return leg and player fitness: "We are not considering major rotations for the return leg in England. Newcastle does not forgive mistakes and they always want to score more. Regarding injuries, Bahlul Mustafazade suffered a muscle strain, and his condition will be clarified tomorrow."

On the gap in quality: "To develop our football, we must take risks and be prepared to face these giants, even if it means heavy defeats. We cannot improve if we only play smaller clubs. Today, even our fans accept this level. In the second half, we tried to change things, but the sheer quality of the opponent and the pressure they applied made it difficult for our players to overcome their nerves."