Guba basketball club's head coach, Shahriyar Asgarov, spoke out about the refereeing errors during the Azerbaijan Cup Round of 16 match against Absheron.
In an interview with Idman.biz, the experienced coach clarified his earlier comments, stating that the referee mistakes played a significant role in their defeat: "I wouldn't say the mistakes were intentionally against my team. Both teams were affected by errors, but unfortunately, some of these mistakes led to our loss. It wasn’t about injustice; it was about incompetence. The referees just didn’t manage the game well."
Asgarov also acknowledged that, like players and coaches, referees are human and may have good or bad games: "No athlete, coach, or referee can perform at the same level every time."
He also emphasized that there are strong referees, and he regretted that weak officiating affected such an important match: "Unfortunately, weak officiating coincided with this crucial game."
The coach admitted that there were mistakes on his part and from his players as well: "I don’t want to blame the referees entirely for the loss. I made mistakes too, such as bringing a tired Gogaladze back onto the court in the final moments. My players also made errors, and the opponent was strong."
Guba lost the match 94-96 to Absheron.
Aytaj Sahed
Idman.biz
