We were playing against a strong team. They were very experienced. Everyone knows that the Croatian football school is far ahead of Azerbaijan. Nevertheless, as a team, we trusted each other. We were leading 1-0 at half-time. In the second half, however, we experienced some fatigue. They are used to playing at such a tempo, while we played last year to counter every tempo. They had a slight advantage. We fought until the last minutes. Now we must not lose heart; there is still a second game. Hopefully, we will play better in the second match and return with a better result.

These words were shared by Ali Qazibayov, captain of Qarabag U-19, in an interview with Offsideplus.az following their match against Dinamo Zagreb U-19 in the UEFA Youth League.

– How is your injury? How did you get injured?

– This can be more related to the surfaces we play on (the pitch's grass cover). We are playing on artificial turf. The more we play on artificial grass, the worse the situation gets, as the pitch is harder. We hardly see natural grass; this is our first or second game on a natural pitch. On artificial turf, both the recovery process is slower and training becomes more difficult – everything affects this. That’s why we experience muscle strains, but it’s not a serious injury.

– The main difference between our championship and international pitches is that our players play on artificial surfaces. What other differences are there?

– You are playing against a European team, a Croatian club. In the Azerbaijan league, there is sometimes a fast-paced game, but that’s only against Sabah. That match is not even 50% of this. Therefore, we are not fully accustomed to such fast-paced games. We need to play more international matches. There are players, including myself, who have adapted to such fast-paced games in the national team, but there are others who still cannot adjust to this rhythm.

– The level of the 'La Masia' academy is well-known, and this team drew with Barcelona in their last match. Will your resistance in this game serve as additional motivation for the upcoming matches?

– We have always believed in ourselves and trusted each other. Today we stepped onto the pitch as a united front, as a real team, and showed that football exists in Azerbaijan, that academies are developing. We are one of the best teams in the country; last year we became champions among under-19 players, and this year we are progressing unbeaten. I say again, I trust my team, and hopefully, we will play better in the second game.