Former Neftchi player Erik Ramos shared his thoughts in an exclusive interview with Sportal.az, addressing the club’s current struggles.
- Neftchi was a dominant force and a title-winning team during your time. Are you surprised to see them in 6th place now?
- Neftchi has won the league only once in the last 10 years, so I’m not really surprised. Football is unpredictable—winning the title every season isn’t easy. But what’s strange is that Neftchi’s results keep declining year after year.
- Neftchi is trailing Qarabag by 30 points, even though many expected them to compete for the title this season. What do you think?
- That’s a huge gap. I don’t have the exact stats, but I believe this is the biggest point difference Neftchi has ever had from the league leaders. Being out of the title race this early… it’s disappointing.
- Two rounds ago, Neftchi faced Qarabag. Despite Qarabag playing with 10 men for a long time, Neftchi still lost. Why do you think Neftchi has been unable to compete with Qarabag?
- Qarabag is simply too dominant. It’s been four years since Neftchi last won against them in a derby. A club of Neftchi’s stature should not be in this situation—and if they are, they need to recover quickly. But right now, their situation is clear.
- Neftchi still has a chance to qualify for European competitions by winning the Azerbaijan Cup. Do you think a team in 6th place can pull that off?
- Yes, the cup is their only realistic path to Europe. They need to forget their struggles in the league. Cup matches are different—they can’t afford to fail. Every game should be treated as a final for Neftchi. I hope they succeed in this competition.
- Which current Neftchi player impresses you the most?
- Honestly, there’s no standout player in Neftchi right now. The team is very unstable. They have new players still adapting and others who have been there for years but are struggling. It’s a tough situation.
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