Veteran futsal player Tofiq Mikayilov has expressed his desire to continue representing Azerbaijan at the international level, despite being 38 years old. In an interview with Offsideplus.az, Mikayilov discussed the national team's recent European Championship qualifier loss to Croatia, the current state of the squad, and the recent controversy involving teammate Rovshan Huseynli.

Reflecting on the 4–1 defeat against Croatia, Mikayilov noted that the team had prepared well but struggled due to the strength of their opponents and fatigue from a recent match against Sweden.

“We gave it our all. Croatia is one of the best teams in Europe. We had just returned from Sweden and were quite tired. Still, we fought until the end,” he said.

He highlighted that the national team is currently undergoing a rebuilding phase, with around 70% of the squad made up of young players who lack experience at the European level.

“There’s a big difference between playing in the local league and competing in Europe. These young players are just starting out, and they need time and opportunities to grow,” Mikayilov stated.

Regarding head coach Vitaliy Borisov, Mikayilov expressed full support, noting that he is working with limited resources but is doing a commendable job.

“I respect him as a coach. He’s working with a newly formed team. Sometimes we lose matches in the final minutes due to inexperience, not coaching errors,” he added.

When asked about his own future, Mikayilov dismissed any immediate retirement plans.

“Yes, I’m 38, but I feel great. I still have the strength to contribute to the national team,” he confidently said.

Mikayilov also addressed the incident involving Rovshan Huseynli, who was temporarily removed from the squad ahead of the Croatia match. He attributed the situation to fatigue and stress following Huseynli’s return from Kazakhstan.

“It was a misunderstanding. Rovshan wanted to spend more time with his family. The matter was later resolved, and he even came to support the team before the Croatia game,” Mikayilov explained.

The experienced player confirmed that Huseynli had spoken to both the team and the coaching staff, and that there were no lingering issues.

“He attended our last two training sessions and wished us luck. His absence from the match was the coach’s decision,” he concluded.