Offsideplus.az presents this interview with reference to Report.

- You have qualified for the finals of the European Championship with the Albanian national team. Will you be able to repeat the same event this time and take one of the first 2 places in the group?

- As in life, nothing is impossible in football. I think it will be very difficult for us. But we have nothing to lose. Comfortable, we will play without pressure. We will try to score as many points as possible.

- What was your first impression after the draw? Do you expect Portugal and Serbia to compete for first place in the group and one of them will go directly to the World Cup, or is there another plan on the table?

- I think that Portugal and Serbia are the favorites of the group because of their value, international experience and good football traditions.

- If you had the opportunity to take two players of the Serbian national team to the national team of Azerbaijan, who would you choose?

- It would be a very difficult choice. Because you have a lot of good players in your squad. I'm afraid I will upset others if I mention 2-3 players. This could be a problem for me tomorrow (laughs). Therefore, it is best not to name.

- Considering that you came to Belgrade 5 years ago as the head coach of the Albanian national team, you will not be afraid of this trip. If there are fans in the stands, you will be greeted a little "warmly" ...

- Frankly, I see no reason to worry. Given all that has happened, I think the best option is to put this unpleasant memory aside. The only thing I want to emphasize is the responsibility and seriousness shown by players like Alexander Kolarov, Branislav Ivanovich and a few other experienced players trying to calm the situation.

- Do you mean that there were no special emotions before the games with Serbia, especially during the match in Belgrade?

- I do not understand, why talk about it, go back to the events and games of five years ago?

- You beat Portugal in Lisbon with the Albanian national team. Will it be possible to repeat this success with Azerbaijan?

- I can't say anything at the moment. But, of course, it will be very difficult. But back to the beginning of our conversation, there is nothing impossible in football.

- How will you prepare your players psychologically for the match against Cristiano Ronaldo?

- If you face a player at this level, there is no need for additional motivation. It is only necessary to manage the tension and pressure in order to make the best use of the players' irresistible desire to prove themselves.

- You have become an honorary citizen of Albania for your success in the national team. You currently have dual citizenship. Along with Portugal, you also defeated France and took the Albanians to the finals of the European Championship for the first time in their history. There you defeated Romania. Do you prepare similar surprises with Azerbaijan?

- I have just started working for the Azerbaijani national team. It would be unserious to make such a promise in such a short time. I spent 6 years in Albania and in the second half of this period, we showed our best result and qualified for the European Championship.

- The Azerbaijani national team will face Serbia in the third round of the group stage in March 2021. What can you say about your current team? Let's take into account that the vast majority of players play in the local championship and are not familiar with Europe ...

- Yes, almost all our players play in the country. Although they do not have international experience, they are interesting players.