In the opening round of the Misli Premier League, Zira defeated Şəfa 2-0.

After the match, Rashad Sadygov answered journalists' questions at the press conference:

"It was a tough contest. We knew the opponent would be resilient. We were disappointed after the European competitions. We played against a head coach who knows Zirə best. He has been with us for 7 years. This was noticeable. I congratulate my players."

- Has the finishing problem been resolved?

"This is my seventh year at Zirə. I can't recall a game where we lost after creating so many goal-scoring opportunities. It happened in the match against Payde as well. This has happened in my football career too. We are all disappointed. However, today we were more precise. Hopefully, it will be resolved."

- Were you able to score two goals against the opponent?

"Playing against Şəfa is more difficult than against Payde. We were creating chances every 5-8 minutes. It wasn't like that this time. When you are dominant in a match, counter-attacks can be dangerous. We also need to pay attention to defence."

- You seemed unhappy with the refereeing again...

"No, no (laughs). There were no mistakes that affected the result. When you are outside the pitch, you tend to be aggressive."

- Last season, Zirə had not lost in the championship match against Cibrila. Are you better prepared physically this season?

"He played little. It's an interesting statistic. I hadn't noticed it. We rely on Issa, and we build our attack around him. There will be rotations. We are working more with him."

- Are you satisfied with Eren Aydin?

"He had a minor injury. But he played with determination and scored a beautiful goal. He scored here, and in the match against Payde, two of his shots hit the post."

- Are you happy with the new FIFA rules?

"They are excellent rules. We were complaining about the passage of time. The only nuance is that there is no point in stopping for a minute due to bleeding. I hope they will pay attention to this matter."