"I DON'T REGRET COMING TO AZERBAIJAN"

The knock-out rounds for the 2018 World Football Championship which start in autumn this year are of particular significance to Robert Prosinecki, the new head coach of the Azerbaijan team. He was appointed to the team's helm in the middle of the knock-out rounds for the EURO 2016 European Football Championship. We shall be able to see the outcome of Prosinecki's efforts this year. Continuing the policy of recruiting younger players into the team, the Croatian expert, who has formed a strong team, should please the fans in the knock-out rounds.

Living in Azerbaijan, unlike his predecessor Berti Vogts, Robert Prosinecki recurrently keeps track of the championship matches in the country and familiarises himself with possible candidates for the team.

In an interview with Regionplus, PROSINECKI spoke about the state of Azerbaijani football and the details of the forthcoming training session in [the Turkish seaside resort of] Antalya.

- Let's begin by talking about Azerbaijan's junior team made up of 21-year-old players, whom you were supervising in Antalya. What was your impression of the junior team?

- We saw some interesting matches within the framework of the Antalya Cup tournament. I was satisfied with the team's performance. I was most pleased to see Namig Aleskerov return to the pitch after a long absence due to injury, and to see the good form he showed. All the teams taking part in the tournament had good players. We can therefore only be glad about our team's performance and the result achieved. 

- What do you think about Namig moving from "Qarabag" to "Kapaz"?

- He's a bright lad. Namig needs a team in which he can get great practice at playing, where he will manage to achieve top form. I back him. With his performance in the match against Ukraine he demonstrated yet again that he is one of the best players in Azerbaijan. We should not forget his performance in the home game against Malta. He played really well then too, but unfortunately he got injured.

- This year some of our clubs could not do the training in Antalya for financial reasons. They trained in Baku for the remaining matches in the championship.

- Naturally, it is preferable to do the training in Antalya. The teams that were left in Baku took part in a mini-tournament. My assistants monitored these games and reported back to me. I have sufficient information about the training of all the clubs. The weather in Baku is possibly not as suitable as in Antalya. But, if there is no opportunity to go to Turkey, then you have to train in your homeland.

- What can you tell us about the players in the Azerbaijan team?

- I am satisfied with what I saw at the training sessions during the matches. The training sessions in Antalya await us in March and also a controlled game in Kazakhstan. It should be an interesting match. Several rounds of the premiere league will take place before that. I hope that the players will feel better before that. In addition there is Dmitrij Nazarov who scored a goal in the controlled match against the Bayern Munich team. Eddy Israfilov has started to build up his form in his new team. Kamran Agayev has returned to "Inter". Not that many of our players have remained abroad. On the whole, I can say that I am happy with the members of the team.

- What do you think about the Azerbaijani team's future after what you have seen?

-There are quite a few good players in the country, but they are simply still very young. This means that everything lies ahead of them. A young football player has to develop, to work more on himself. I have had some consultations with my assistants regarding candidates for the team. I think that new names will appear in the team at the training sessions in March. The rivals in the knock-out rounds in this country are by no means weak. From this standpoint, tough matches await us. The controlled game with Kazakhstan will help to clear up many issues. It is our aim to be successful in the knock-out rounds.

- Do you regret agreeing to work with the Azerbaijan team?

- When I received the offer, I had my doubts to begin with. I didn't know where I was going to, with whom I was going to work. Therefore I needed to turn it over in my mind. Looking back, I think that I took the right decision. You have a good infrastructure, and the fans love football. It is our task to work on that and improve the team's standard of play.

- Do you think that anything has changed in the team in such a short time?

-You can judge of that for yourself. What I say may not be correctly understood. There is undoubtedly still a great deal to do. But we shall not forget that I came into the Azerbaijan team after a series of defeats, when the team had not been able to even score a single point. We have managed to make some progress in the time that has passed. The players are not as weak as they are reputed to be. The players do have sufficient potential. My main task is that of convincing them of their ability to attain more. And there is every ground for believing that. Azerbaijan has good traditions in martial arts, boxing and wrestling. This is evidence of an aggressiveness and the fighting spirit of your sportsmen. The main thing for them is to actually reveal their good points.

- Wasn't it difficult working with the Azerbaijani team in the wake of Berti Vogts?

- My counterpart is a sufficiently well-known person so I would not like to say anything about him. It is not up to a coach to judge the efforts of his counterpart. When he is working, everyone attempts to achieve the very best. Some things are achieved and some things aren't

- Baku is to host four matches in the 2020 European Championship. Will the Azerbaijan team be able to gain the right to take part in this tournament?

-We have the knock-out round of the World Championship ahead of us. We won't be thinking about the EURO 2020 until after that. If the Azerbaijan team were to manage to play in the European Championship that would really be something for the fans to celebrate. If we take into account the fact that the EURO 2020 matches are to be played in Baku, then we need to apply maximum effort to achieve this. At this moment in time, my contract with the Azerbaijan Football Federation Association has been concluded until the end of 2017, but who knows whether I shall manage to train the Azerbaijan team for the EURO 2020 Championship. 

- Do you intend to extend our contract?

- It is not for me to decide. If I receive an offer, I will think about it. I find it interesting working with the Azerbaijan team. So, why shouldn't I think about extending my contract? But it is still a long time before that happens. So, let's think about what we have to do in 2016.