Following the goalless draw between Azerbaijan and Liechtenstein, experienced journalist Ernst Hasler, head of the Der Stammtisch website, spoke in an exclusive interview with Offsideplus.az.

Q: What are your impressions of the match?

A: "I am happy for my team. We had suffered five consecutive defeats in our previous five matches, and now we managed to earn a point against a strong opponent. This was our best performance in the last six games, and I consider it a fantastic result. Our players showed great courage, determination, and defended compactly. Therefore, this result did not come as a complete surprise to me. Of course, luck played a part as Azerbaijan had 2-3 clear goalscoring opportunities that they couldn't convert. But that’s football. In fact, I believe Liechtenstein came even closer to snatching a victory in the second half, which would have been a massive surprise."

Q: Did you have prior knowledge about Azerbaijani football?

A: "Of course. This is not my first visit here—I was also in Baku back in 1998. We defeated Azerbaijan 2-1 in Liechtenstein, but lost 0-4 here, so I have long been familiar with Azerbaijani football. I also closely follow clubs like Qarabag competing in the Champions League. Azerbaijani football has made notable progress over the years. I remember visiting when Berti Vogts was managing the national team. He was quite aggressive toward the media during a press conference because some journalists were criticizing the performance without having attended the match. He told them, 'You weren't even at the match, how can you discuss this with me?'"

Q: So you follow clubs like Sabah and Qarabag in European competitions?

A: "Yes, absolutely. European tournaments and the Champions League are followed all across Europe. Being based in Central Europe, we get to watch these matches and stay well-informed about the teams."

Q: You’ve been to Baku several times. How do you find the city and the country overall?

A: "This trip was very brief—I arrived last night and my flight back is at 2:00 AM tonight, so I didn’t have much time to explore. However, the transformation of the country is remarkable. Comparing today's Azerbaijan with what I saw in 1998, the progress in culture, economy, and sports is truly impressive."