"LAND OF FIRE" SUCCESS

Madrid's "Atletico" club, which has won the Spanish football championship, has celebrated its success together with Azerbaijani fans. 

The players Arda Turan and Gabi [Gabriel Fernandez Arenas] have come to Baku. The finalists in the League of champions brought the La Liga championship cup with them, thereby expressing their respect for Azerbaijani fans.  During the rather short visit, Regionplus had the opportunity to talk to Arda Turan, one of the leading players in the Turkish team.

We note that the players from the "Atletico" club only have the right to answer questions at the press conference. Individual interviews are only granted to representatives of the Spanish media, with whom the club co-operates. In spite of this, "Atletico" officials made an exception by allowing the Turkish footballer to be interviewed by our magazine.

- We are pleased to see you in Baku again. It seems that your visit will be a short one…

- We have decided to take some rest after a hard season. We accepted an invitation from the "Baku" club to mark Republic Day together in Azerbaijan. As you know, the World Championship is going to take place in Brazil in June. Many of the players in our club are preparing for a grandiose competition. So, only Gabi and I have come to Baku. But we haven't come empty-handed. We brought the Spanish Championship cup with us. 

- The season that has just ended has been a very successful one for "Atletico". What's the secret of this success?

- First and foremost, we fought together as a team. We have an experienced coach and a good squad. The Spanish Championship is one of the strongest football tournaments in the world. It was not all that easy for us to win the gold medals. We got to the finals in the League of Champions. In the Spanish Cup we managed to play almost to the end. To add to this, as the champions of Spain, we shall take up the fight for this country's Super Cup.  

- Your successes started after the club begin to work together with Azerbaijan, when the players started wearing the T-shirts bearing the "Azerbaijan Land of Fire" logos. It was as if our country became your guardian angel. 

- I would first of all like to express gratitude to Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev. His support for "Atletico" has been extremely important. We are constantly aware of his presence beside us. The president of Azerbaijan does not leave Turkey all on its own either. He is side by side with Turkey at every conference and other events, in which we take part.  I thank Mr. Aliyev for that too. Azerbaijan and Turkey are a single nation in two states. We are fraternal countries. I have always said and still say that I feel just as at home in Baku as I do in Istanbul. When I go out onto the pitch, I feel proud to be wearing my T-shirt with "Azerbaijan" on it. In actual fact, the name Azerbaijan has brought us good luck. And the number of fans of our team has increased. We regard ourselves as ambassadors of Azerbaijan, promoting it in sport and other fields.

- At the meeting with President Ilham Aliyev last year, you presented him with an "Atletico" club uniform, as if making him an honorary member of the team.

- Ilham Aliyev is very keen on sport. He particularly likes football. During the meeting he said that he keeps track of "Atletico's" games and is pleased when our team wins. It is very important for us to hear this. Azerbaijan is contributing its share to "Atletico's" successes. The president's belief in us undoubtedly acts as additional motivation to our players.

- On 28 February you went out onto the pitch wearing black armbands as a mark of mourning for Xocali [Khojaly; massacre of Azeris living in Nagornyy Karabakh]. In addition, you and several of the players made a special video clip in which you expressed your condolences to the Azerbaijani people. The press wrote that after that the Armenians began to exert pressure on you.

- I would not like to go into details. I am always with Azerbaijan. I will say straight out that I do not like hypocrisy. Your grief is my grief too. At "Atletico" we consider ourselves to be a representative of not only of Turkey, but of Azerbaijan too.

- They say that you are leaving "Atletico". Is it true that you have received offers from "Barcelona" and "Manchester United"?

- We don't have the right to answer questions like that. I have a contract with "Atletico" until 2017. "Atletico" is like my own family. I'm very happy there.

- Perhaps you will agree to a transfer if those clubs offer you more money?

- Money is important in football, but it is not the main factor. Today I understand "Atletico", and the club understands me. We are happy together. The most important thing is that the player feels at ease.

- What did you feel in the final match of the League of Champions? Three minutes before the end, you let a goal through and as a result you lost the cup…

- I was just unlucky. They started very well. The game against "Real" was a nervous one, a tense one. It is depressing when you lose in the finals. It is impossible to put those sensations into words. I didn't know where to put myself. In the future we shall try to win that tournament.

- There was a lot of talk about why you were not on the pitch in the final match. They say that you yourself didn't want to play in it…

- At the club decisions are taken jointly. The coaching body thought that it would be better if I did not go onto the pitch. My injury had not properly healed. I was still in pain.

- Will you be able to "take revenge" on "Real" in the Spanish Supercup match? Are you contemplating revenge?

- We intend to win that prize. It's not our style to contemplate revenge. We need to win. We have the strength to fight to the end.

- A well-recognised Turkish coach like Mustafa Danizli has worked with our football clubs. But he didn't manage to have any success. Why is it that things don't turn out well for famous coaches in Azerbaijan?

- Mustafa Danizli is an expert who is well known both in Turkey and in Azerbaijan. You cannot judge his success from the results shown by one club. He was the Turkish champion. He has a lot of attainments to his name. All kinds of things can happen in football. Fate evidently did not smile on him in your country.

- What did you like most in our capital?

- Baku is splendid. I like the whole city. The promenade is very beautiful. We took a ride along the shore in a special motor launch. At night Baku is even more beautiful. People are very friendly here. I have always liked Azerbaijan. I have nothing in my head except good wishes for a fraternal country.