NO MIRACLE

Azerbaijani national football team is again left without a head coach. With only one point at the qualifying stage of the European Championship, the national team repeated its 24-year-old anti-record. Everyone is dissatisfied with both the performance of the team, which failed to qualify for the continental championship. In this situation, the resignation of head coach Nikola Jurcevic was inevitable, and there was no miracle.

At a meeting of the AFFA Executive Committee, the committee members listened Nikola Jurcevic's report on the qualifying stage and decided to terminate the contract with him. Below is our interview with the former coach of the national Jurcevic, who is currently in Austria.

"How did you accept the decision to terminate the contract with the Azerbaijani team?"

"Throughout the past week I have been thinking about my future and the future of the Azerbaijani team. I was not sure whether I needed to renew the contract. I must be realistic. Taking into account Azerbaijan's position in European football, only gradual development is possible. I admit that I tackled an extremely difficult matter. I am not looking for excuses. If there is failure, then, as a trainer, I am to blame. But let's not forget about the realities. Today in the Azerbaijani team there are no players playing in Europe. Unlike rivals, Azerbaijani football players do not play in well-known European clubs. You can become successful only through painstaking work with young players and gradual promotion. In any case, I want to thank everyone who supported me in Azerbaijan. It was very interesting to work with you."

"How did you know about your resignation?"

"I presented a report on the performance of the national team at the executive committee of AFFA. Then I was asked to leave the meeting room for discussions. Then I was told that the AFFA Executive Committee decided to terminate my contract. I'm not offended. This is any coach's lot - when you come, you should be ready to leave. I just did not expect that my work with the Azerbaijani team would end so quickly."

"How do you evaluate your work in Azerbaijan?"

"We failed to qualify for the final stage of the European Championship. But this was not a surprise. Let's talk straight. How many times has the Azerbaijani national team participated in the European championship? They expected a miracle from me. The fact that we scored just 1 point is a fiasco. We are in some ways out of luck. Yet I think we could identify several new and young players. They played well against superior teams and even had chances to win extra points. If our group had lightweight opponents like San Marino, they probably would have earned another 6 points, which could give the team confidence. But none of our rivals were weak. We had to play against the teams of higher level."

"Could you tell us briefly about the report submitted to the AFFA Executive Committee?"

"It was a regular annual report for the executive committee. I analysed all the matches. At the qualifying stage, there were many referee errors. I emphasised the lack of a sufficient number of players for competition in the national team, as there are only eight teams in the Premiere League. In addition, some do not have game practice in their clubs. Due to injuries and penalties in each game of the qualifying stage, we were not able to use the potential of 3-4 football players. The team lacks players playing abroad. I tried to conduct an analysis related to the future of the team. I think there are chances to succeed in the next League of Nations. I wish success to the new head coach, who will work with the team."

"Has your career in Azerbaijan ended? Do you think about returning here in the future?"

"I can only say good things about your country. I hope that I will be able to work in Azerbaijan once again. I must say that my family and I lived in beautiful Baku, in hospitable Azerbaijan, and had unforgettable days surrounded by wonderful people. Now I'm thinking about some rest. My agents know that I am free. New proposals will start coming probably in 5-6 months."

"You failed in our team. How will this factor affect your future career?"

"What did you expect from me? Why do the media and fans think that I failed? Working with such expectations is difficult. Constantly feeling pressure. After all, you did not have football players playing for Barcelona or ​​Juventus. You should be proud of the team in matches against Wales, Croatia, and Hungary, against the players who play for Real Madrid, Bayern, and Manchester United. What could we do against them with the players playing for Garabagh, Neftchi, and Sabail? Or did you expect three points in games with Croatia?"

"Who is able to raise the Azerbaijani team to a higher level?"

"I will probably make a mistake if I answer this question. I wish success to the national team of Azerbaijan. But I don't agree that my work was unsuccessful. They could give me some more time."

"By the way, some say that the former head coach Robert Prosinecki was going to return to the team. When he was a head coach, the national team scored 10 points at the qualifying stage. If so, will this be a right decision?"

"We will see. Azerbaijan has been friendly towards me. I owe a big thank you to every Azerbaijani. I wish the team success. And good luck to the new head coach. The national team needs luck indeed."

"Thanks for the interview."

"Good luck to you!"