AFFA official: Even Czech journalists agreed to wear masks

Baku. 5 October. REPORT.AZ/ Flashmob of Azerbaijan national team at the press conference ahead of 2018 World Championship qualifying group match with Czech Republic was planned by AFFA. 

Chairman of the AFFA Media and Public Relations Department, Mikail Narimanoglu told Report.

According to him, flashmob had a purpose to support Rashad Sadigov who will play his last match in national team. He added that he had talked about the flashmob with FIFA Commissioner Romano Clavedetscher in the first half of the day before and journalists ahead of press conference and did not get any negative response:

“We have talked on this flashmob with Swiss commissioner of the match last morning. As he did not protest we have prepared masks with image of Rashad Sadigov. Before press conference we informed journalists that want to organize the twenty-second flash mob. None of our colleagues objected. Even Czech journalists agreed to wear masks. If someone from participants would raise an objection, we did not even try for flash mob. However, FIFA commissioner did not agree, because of recording and broadcasting of the press conference by themselves. Nevertheless, journalists held the masks in the hands till the end of the event. After the press-conference we were thinking about taking a photo in masks with Rashad Sadigov. But Sadigov did not agree himself.”

AFFA official also said the idea to wear masks would not be received ambiguously as it is about support for Rashad Sadigov who will play in the national team for the last time.

At the press-conference attended by Rashad Sadigov, head referee Robert Prosinečki and footballer Rahid Amirguliyev, Rashad Sadigov officially said good bye to Azerbaijan national team. Sadigov will play his last match today wearing uniform of Azerbaijan national team in game against the Czechs.