Baku. 19 October. REPORT.AZ/ Undoubtedly, Qarabag football club has given us very good moments. Friends and colleagues have made some predictions about the game. But nobody expected such a score. We see how professionalism and play levels of Qarabag football players are increasingly growing. Thanks to them, we saw the team performance at the European level. They make us happy”.
Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan Azad Rahimov told reporters commenting on Qarabag-Atlético match at the 3rd round of the Champions League group stage which ended in the 0-0 draw. “I completely objectively look at the problem: “It was not a right decision to give a red card to Qarabag 's footballer. There was a leg kick by opponent's footballer indeed. We've seen it repeatedly in video".
According to him, Qarabag management will appeal to UEFA regarding this episode: "Of course, it will be protested, but what will happen at the end of the day? That referee might be dismissed from 1-2 international matches. It is possible that the referees make mistakes in every game. However, there is no other type of measures concerning the referee's mistakes. Therefore, not only in football, but in other sports, we should not focus on referees, we should not think of them. We must play in that way so that referees would not have any influence.
Mistakes by referees can not affect us, the AFFA and club's management. The protest will be anyway, but I do not believe in the outcome”.
Notably, at 75th minute of Qarabag - Atlético match at Baku Olympic Stadium Dino Ndlovu fell on the ground after Diego Godín's intervention. However, French referee Ruddy Buquet evaluated the episode as a simulation and gave Ndlovu a second yellow card during the game, leaving the host team in the minority.