Björn Kuipers, a member of the UEFA Referees Committee, who held a seminar for Azerbaijani referees in Baku at the invitation of AFFA, answered journalists' questions after the event.
Offsideplus.az reports that B. Kuipers expressed his gratitude to the AFFA leadership and the Chairman of the Referees Committee, Frank de Bleker, for the invitation: "I would like to express my gratitude for organizing the event and for the invitation. I would like to note that I already knew our 3 international doctors."
The Dutch specialist emphasized the importance of high quality, not the number, of Azerbaijani international referees:
"Currently, the level of Azerbaijani referees is high. We should be proud of what they have achieved in these years. You have 2 referees in the 1st category, and the other is young. It is important to work hard. If you have a candidate to attract the 4th referee, you should write a letter to UEFA and apply."
B. Kuipers, who has been appointed to the decisive matches of the World and European Championships, as well as the Champions League and Europa League, has announced the conditions necessary for Azerbaijani referees to officiate the finals:
"In order to be appointed to high-level international tournaments, Azerbaijani referees must participate in the games. Aliyar Aghayev has officiated 4 Champions League games. The next referee is Elchin, who has the UEFA elite category. This is an achievement in itself. You must be persistent in this work, you must increase your level. Success is not accidental, it comes from learning and working hard. If they perform well, they will have a good chance of being appointed to high-level international tournaments."