FIFA referee Hikmat Gafarli, who made history as the first Azerbaijani official to be appointed to the European Championship finals, shared his impressions of the tournament upon his return.

Offsideplus.az reports that the referee, describing this as the most exciting period of his career, emphasized his pride in representing the Azerbaijani refereeing school at the continent's most prestigious futsal competition.

Gafarli was on duty for three different matches during the tournament. He received his first appointment for the Armenia – Ukraine match (as a timekeeper) and later served as the head referee for the Ukraine – Lithuania encounter. The referee noted that his performance in that high-pressure match, which featured one of the host nations, was highly rated by the referee inspector. Additionally, he served as the third referee in the Georgia – France match, successfully managing the challenging technical zone.

Regarding the match involving Armenia, he stated:

"There is always excitement. However, this time it wasn't related to the name of any specific participating team. When we receive an appointment, we focus strictly on the rules of the game and perform our duties as referees. The excitement stemmed from the sense of responsibility. But once the starting whistle blows, that excitement gives way to the atmosphere of the game."

The experienced referee also spoke about innovations at the tournament. He noted that he became closely acquainted with the working principles of the Video Support (VS) system, which was implemented for the first time, and even utilized it during the Ukraine – Lithuania match. Clarifying why he did not receive appointments for the knockout stages, Gafarli explained that for decisive matches, UEFA typically prefers more experienced referees who are participating in their third European Championship finals, while many younger referees are sent home following the group stage.