Interview with Miro Varvodić, former goalkeeper of Qarabag (2012-2013), for Sportal.az.
- This season, Qarabag lost to big clubs like Tottenham, Ajax, and Lyon in European competitions. However, they fought valiantly in all three matches and created numerous goal-scoring opportunities. Is the reason for not getting positive results the difference in levels?
- Qarabag can sometimes beat big clubs. But we need to be realistic. These clubs are big and different from Qarabag. The influence of Gurban Gurbanov is felt at Qarabag, and he has done a great job. Tottenham, on the other hand, can recruit any player they want; it's not hard for them. But that's not the case at Qarabag. For example, in Formula 1, you wouldn't expect the Haas team to become champions because Mercedes and Ferrari have better cars. It's the same in football. Considering all the realities, the work Qarabag has done is excellent.
- Qarabag has two more games coming up. The team is currently in 33rd place in the Europa League...
- I expected Qarabag to be between 1st and 15th places. But this year, they haven't been lucky. They need to win the upcoming matches because Qarabag is a better team.
- Can your former team beat FCSB and Olympiakos in the upcoming matches?
- Gurban Gurbanov is doing an excellent job. This season, they might not have been lucky, but that's not important. You can see what's happening with Josep Guardiola at Manchester City. It's just a disaster. But they will start winning again. Qarabag will also start winning again. Everyone goes through periods of ups and downs. Qarabag is really a good team.
- Does Qarabag look stronger now, or was it stronger when you played for the team?
- Qarabag is stronger now. When I joined Qarabag, it was just the beginning of their successes. We didn’t have a base or training facilities. We had to go to different places for training every day. Now, the players have access to facilities that are on par with top clubs. They have a base, a training field, and a gym. They will continue to improve. The club is more organized now, in terms of marketing and all other matters. For that, thanks should also go to Asif Asgarov (laughs).
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