Kanan Karimov, head coach of Karvan, which competes in the I League, interviewed by Sportal.az
- How did you interpret the match with Baku Sporting (1:1)?
- It was a match consisting of two completely different halves. Our biggest problem is related to the grass cover. It prevents the team from demonstrating a well-groomed match. AFFA's decision that 3 teams will be promoted to the Premier League has whetted everyone's appetite. Baku Sporting also has a chance. We knew that the game would be held in a tense fight. It was a match that was completely under our control. Despite being behind in the score, we scored the necessary goal.
- What can you say about your goal that was not recorded?
- I don't want to talk about the refereeing. But again, we lost 3 points due to their gross mistake. I have watched the episode many times. The referee had just passed the center of the field at that moment, it was impossible for him to see from there. When you look at the replay, it seems that Peter Kings received the ball with his chest and scored a goal. The linesman pointed to the goal and ran to the center. Because the linesman saw the episode better. I consider this a questionable decision.
- Do you have a different angle of view of the episode?
- Even if there was a recording, nothing changes. It is difficult to implement the VAR system in the First League at the moment. If there was a VAR system, it would have been different. Maybe we lost 10-12 points because of the referees. True, they can also make mistakes. I repeat, it was impossible for the referee to see that episode from afar in the match with Baku Sporting.
- Do you think the referees make mistakes, or is there a bias against Karvan?
- There are young referees, most of whom I do not know. It is inevitable that they will make mistakes. But suddenly they make such a gross mistake that they do not fit into the refereeing. They know, God knows. I can't say that it was biased.
- Some head coaches say that Premier League referees behave too confidently in the First League. What do you think?
- Without the VAR system, big mistakes are inevitable in the Premier League. Premier League referees have also refereed our matches. It's difficult for them too. Refereeing is a big problem. I don't want to talk too much. I spoke, the team has suffered big blows. There are 8 rounds ahead. We are currently in 2nd place. But this does not mean that we have secured our place. We will fight until the end to protect our position. The championship has been both interesting and tense. On one side, there are teams that want to get rid of the last place, and on the other side, there are teams that continue to claim the Premier League.
- How is the competition in the I League, the level of the championship?
- There is great competition. After the AFFA decision, the championship has become even more interesting. The decision has a positive effect. All teams now approach their work more responsibly.
- Last season, Shamakhi competed in the I League, this season Gabala competed in the I League. How does the presence of such teams affect the level of the championship?
- Shortcomings are inevitable. There are problems in every club. It is the right decision for the team that took the last place in the Premier League to be relegated to the I League. The I League needs time to develop in terms of infrastructure.
- Gabala footballer Shahin Shahniyarov was invited to the national team. Could this be a motivation for other footballers playing in the I League?
- The doors of the national team are open to every footballer. Shahin Shahniyarov's call-up was a positive thing. He is one of my favourite footballers. Shahin was in the starting line-up in the friendly match against Belarus. I think he is not yet fully ready for the national team. But giving such chances in test matches is a good thing. Shahin's invitation to the national team will also be a motivation for other players.
- Are there other players in the I League who are candidates for the national team?
- We have two players who are in the first place in terms of productivity (Bahruz Teymurov, Emil Gasimov). It would be good if they were given a chance too. The head coach of the national team sees everything better. Fernando Santos also watched our match. I don't want to interfere in his business, the decision is his.
- What are your thoughts on the national team's matches with Haiti and Belarus?
- The national team is discouraged. At least one of these two opponents could have been defeated. The national spirit seems to have died. The psychological state of the players needs to be improved. The World Cup qualifying matches are coming up. The opponents there are not Haiti or Belarus. If we don't eliminate the problems, we will face more miserable defeats. I hope that everything will work out and we will also be happy with the good results of the national team.
- How is Karvan's preparation for the Premier League going?
- Karvan is the most ambitious club in the I League after Gabala in terms of infrastructure. We have a problem with the grass cover. Club president Shahmar Valiyev always keeps us in mind. After it is confirmed that we will be promoted to the Premier League, work on replacing the grass cover will begin.
- The decision of the AFFA Executive Committee did not state that the team that takes the first three places in the I League will be promoted to the Premier League. Don't you think that, according to the license conditions, someone else will be promoted to the Premier League instead of one of the teams in the first three?
- This is the decision of the federation. We cannot set conditions for them. We have a lot of work to do, high-level preparation is underway. We must first secure our place in the first three. I think that Karvan has the best, ideal conditions after Gabala.
- Karvan scores a lot of goals from long-range shots. Do you work on this in training?
- Of course. I have always loved attacking football. I myself was a striker. In our training process, there are always shots on goal. Probably, there are results due to the work we do. In terms of productivity, Karvan is the team that scores the most goals.
Idman.biz
