FC ARAZ IS IN THE ELITE

After a year-long break, the Azerbaijani futsal returned to compete in the European Cup. Last season, Khazar Adalary did not participate in the European Cup. This time, however, Araz has the right to re-enter the continental arena. Despite joining the UEFA Cup competitions two years ago from an elite stage and unsuccessful performance, the club from Nakhchivan has demonstrated a desire and will to fight.

Fighting to guarantee participation in the elite round, the Azerbaijan champion was considered a favorite, as the other teams in the group were not able to demonstrate anything special. Also, two teams, the Georgian champion representing the Tbilisi State University and the best team from Kosovo, Phoenix, made their way to the group stage through a qualifying round. Another contestant in the group was the champion of Macedonia, Zelezarec, which also did not show serious progress.

Therefore, it was expected that Araz wins the series easily. After all, this would help to prepare the team, which has no major rivals in the national championship, for the elite stage.

At the tournament organized in Macedonia, Araz has demonstrated that it is the strongest team in the group. In the first round, the champion team defeated the team of the Tbilisi State University. Araz celebrated the victory with a score of 7:1. Everton Cardoso, Vasura and Bolinha made doubles, and one goal was scored by Khatai Bagirov.

In the second game with Phoenix of Kosovo, the champion of Azerbaijan also left the field as a winner. However, in this case with a minimal advantage of 1:0 scored by Khatai Bagirov.

Before the last game with the Macedonian Zelezarec, the Azerbaijani club had already secured first place in the group, but this did not prevent Araz from showing an enchanting game, scoring 15 goals. Macedonians were able to respond to this rout by 4 goals only. Finally, Araz won a ticket to the elite round.

The rivals of Araz in the next stage are already known. The tournament, which will be held in the Swedish city of Njon, has 16 teams - 12 winners of the main stage and four teams to join them directly, divided into 4 groups. This time, however, the rivals of Araz are stronger. In group B, the team from Nakhchivan will combat teams Ugra (Russia), Hamburg (Germany), and National (Croatia).

Araz should not be satisfied with this result after stepping into the elite round. With such an experienced line-up, it is time to achieve even greater success. It is quite possible to win the clubs from Russia, Germany, and Croatia at the next stage. The only favourite seems to be Ugra. This Russian team is one of the ambitious clubs. Therefore, Araz will demonstrate its power in this game with Ugra.

Speaking about the preparation of the team, Araz’s head coach Nilson Machado noted that they were unlucky with the drawing procedure: “We played well enough at the first stage. We achieved the best results, although the rivals were not so strong. Having won all the games, we left the group as a leader. This is a very important factor for motivation. It is important to know that taking the first place in the group is difficult. We do not think our mission to get to the elite round is accomplished. We must continue winning. The Russian champion has a very strong team. Lest we forget the Croatian club. Having an experienced line-up, National is capable of playing against any team. We are in a very difficult group. Nevertheless, we will fight for the first place. The players understand their responsibilities. Our desire is to go as far as possible. Today, Araz is made of good futsal players. It is important to move forward, showing our strength. Otherwise, it will be difficult to meet the demands of the fans. The elite round is never easy on opponents. It is necessary to understand this. No one is eager to win more than we do. Just sometimes, it does not work. Today, I said that Araz would fight for the first place. But what will happen on the court, I do not know. We must be ready for any outcome. As a team, we have to focus on the opponent. On the field, you can beat any opponent. You just need to believe in it”, said Nilsson.

For information: the drawing procedure for the classification and selection stages of the European Championship is over. The Azerbaijani national team playing in Group II has two rival teams. We will play with the national teams of Hungary and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our next opponent will be known after the classification games. At this stage, the teams will compete in Bulgaria, Albania, England, and Malta. The matches will take place on 3 and 12 April 2017 in Baku. The final stage of the championship will take place in Slovenia in 2018.