AFFA Secretary General: We have obligations to rectify shortcomings - INTERVIEW

Baku. 21 August. REPORT.AZ/ AFFA Secretary General Elkhan Mammadov gave an interview to Report News Agency:

- In September, the national team has matches with Croatia and Malta. What are your expectations from these games?

- We always want to score 3 points in home games. We know that the match will be against the leader of our group. I think that the strongest rival in our group is Croatia. We do not want to remember the visit match. I hope, our team will forget the score for the first meeting and fight for the maximum result. Robert Prosinecki has several positive features. One of them is that the head coach invites young and perspective players to every training session. It is gratifying. Of course, it does not mean that the player can be involved in the squad. However, it is a stimulus for him.

-The meeting with the Italian national team will take place at the Olympic Stadium in Baku. UEFA has already inspected the stadium. When will we get "yes" from UEFA?

- We had an extensive meeting with the Ministry of Youth and Sports after the first European Games and compiled a preparedness plan. UEFA representatives should give the appropriate category to the stadium. After watching, they mentioned the shortfall issues. One of them is grass cover. Because, after the closing ceremony, it was impossible to use the grass. Currently, the stadium's grass cover is being changed. Relrevant furniture must be booked for dressing rooms and it will be carried out by the ministry. Everything will be fine until the next review. They are likely to arrive between September 5-20. However, we have obligations to rectify shortcomings and everything will be solved.

- Has the testing match of the national team with Moldova on November 17 been confirmed?

- Yes, it is confirmed now.

- AFFA held tender on broadcasting rights of the Country Championship and "CBC" TV prevailed. What do you think about the broadcasting of the championship, what are the changes?

- First of all, it is gratifying that Premier League will be shot with 12 cameras and 3 matches will be broadcasted. However, it was not so before. "CBC Sports" channel that will operate in the future, took obligations that they will broadcast video recordings of other matches or lively. At the moment we are working on it. We have regular meetings with TV leadership and the Professional Football League president Ramin Musayev. Broadcasting 3 maches In each tournament is a plus. Moreover, Full HD shooting and online broadcasting are also good. At the last meting, they showed us the ranking list and we saw great interest to matches. If "CBC" TV wants AFFA and PFL to give them the right to broadcast the next season, they should prove themselves.