Azerbaijan national team player and Germany's Nürnberg forward Mahir Emreli answered questions from Report.
The 27-year-old forward shared his thoughts on the national team's friendly losses to Haiti (0:3) and Belarus (0:2), discussed his situation with Nürnberg, and outlined his career goals, Idman.biz reports.
- The national team couldn't secure a positive result in the friendly matches. What do you think was the main reason for the defeats?
- I believe the reason for our losses lies in individual mistakes. In both games, we had enough goal-scoring opportunities, but we couldn't capitalize on them. If we had taken advantage of those chances, we could have seen a different outcome. I think that on the national level, it’s important to make the most of the opportunities you get because mistakes here are never forgiven. In my opinion, we conceded more goals due to individual errors. We need to focus on this, work hard, and eliminate these mistakes.
- Fans and the football community feel that some national team members are not putting in enough effort or showing fighting spirit on the field. What’s your take on this?
- I disagree with this opinion. Our players are giving their all. It's just that in some situations, the quality of the play speaks for itself. I can’t say that Zamig Aliyev wasn’t giving his best during the Belarus match. He was actually one of the most dedicated players. But sometimes, he made mistakes unintentionally. These are mistakes that happen in the heat of the moment. We make such errors in several matches, but I don’t want to link that to lack of fighting spirit, national pride, or any other reasons. Every player on our team is patriotic and loves their country.
- The results were not encouraging in last year’s UEFA Nations League and this year’s friendly matches. How do you see our chances in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against France, Ukraine, and Iceland?
- There’s no need to fabricate anything here. Our opponents’ names, the quality of their players, and the clubs they play for are well-known. If we want to achieve a good result in such matches, we must make minimal mistakes. You have to be very disciplined and focused. You need to be fully dedicated, thinking about these matches day and night. We’ll all see how the games and results unfold.
- We’d also like to hear about your career at Nürnberg. When you first joined the team, after recovering from an injury, we saw you more frequently in the lineup. What happened afterward?
- Things are normal for me at Nürnberg. My limited playing time isn’t related to me personally. We’re all professional players. As a footballer, I’m working to fulfill my responsibilities. There’s nothing else I can do here. I played 90 minutes against "Darmstadt," and I can’t explain why I wasn’t included in the squad afterward. I think it’s up to you to evaluate that. Overall, I don’t plan to discuss this much. Nürnberg is a great club with amazing fans. Despite being in the second division, the atmosphere created by the fans is fantastic. I believe these fans deserve more.
- South Korea's Seoul club tried to sign you during the winter transfer window. Why did the move not happen?
- Because I didn’t want it. There were certain factors that made me realize I didn’t want to make the move. I took some risks, such as the situation I’m in now. But I’m trying to stay calm and focus on my work. In the upcoming matches, I want to give my best for the team.
- Your contract with Nürnberg will expire at the end of the season. Do you plan to stay with the team? Have you been offered a new contract?
- If we secure promotion to the Bundesliga, the contract will be extended. However, if we don’t make it to the top tier, I may not stay. The current situation suggests this.
- If you leave Nürnberg, do you plan to return to Azerbaijan?
- We don’t know if I’ll leave the club. We haven’t thought about it yet. We don’t have any plans at the moment. I’ll discuss with my agents and family what the best course of action is. Whoever wants to see me more on their team, we’ll make the right decision for me, based on what’s best.
Idman.biz
