Being placed in a four-team group was the least desirable outcome. It would have been better to be in a five-team group, with a lower-ranked opponent among them.
Azerbaijan's former national team coach Arif Asadov gave an interview to Idman.biz.
The experienced coach commented on the draw for the UEFA Euro 2026 qualification's European zone. He pointed out that the clear favorite of the D group, in which Azerbaijan will compete, is the winner of the France vs. Croatia match: “In the 1/4 finals of the Nations League, the team that wins will certainly be the strongest. We have already played both France and Croatia, and their strength is well-known. We will face Iceland for the first time in an official match. We’ve also met Ukraine in friendly matches. We can compete with each of these teams. Although Ukraine participated in the last European Championship, the situation in their country has affected the team’s performance. I hope we won’t finish last in the group and will fight for the 2nd and 3rd places.”
Asadov also emphasized that the draw wasn’t in Azerbaijan’s favor: “There were 3-4 groups that would have been more favorable for us. Of course, if we consider the level difference, all the opponents are equally challenging for our team. We must work to earn more points for the development of our football.”
Emin Aga
Idman.biz
