"We all want the national team to win, but it will be very difficult."
Former Azerbaijani national futsal player Aghatahir Azimov shared his thoughts with Idman.biz regarding the upcoming match against Sweden in the main qualifying round of EURO 2026.
Azimov acknowledged the challenges ahead, saying: "Sweden is not a strong opponent, but we are not at the desired level either. Most of the team consists of young players, and 2-3 of them are over 40 years old. We lack middle-aged players. Previously, Brazilian players dominated the team. Former head coach Alessio did not give local futsal players a chance. This is why the game will be tough."
According to the former captain, Sweden’s 1-4 loss to Greece in their first match will not have much impact: "They will show their capabilities and perform the same way against us. We have always beaten Sweden with local futsal players. We never needed Brazilians, and we can do it again now. The only issue is the lack of experience among the younger players. Their skills will improve gradually as they play more."
The Azerbaijan vs. Sweden match will take place at Baku Sports Hall at 20:00.
Emin Aga
Idman.biz
