"Qarabag" FC official: We will try to qualify for Champions League Group stage

Baku. 14 July. REPORT.AZ/ "At the moment we do not think about next stage, but about match with the Georgian "Samtredia". Executive Director of Qarabag Emrah Çelikel told report evaluating the draw of the III qualifying round of the Champions League.

According to the club's official representative, potential rivals "Sheriff" (Moldova) and "Kukësi" (Albania) pair has greatest chance of first round. Çelikel sees the reason in the victory of the "Sheriff" team on the home match with the score 1: 0.

In response to a question about whether a visit to the unrecognized Transnistrian Republic could create a problem for Qarabag, the director of the Agdam team replied: "I do not think that there will be a problem from the organizational point of view, if the Champions League is held under the flag of UEFA."

In case "Qarabag" surpasses winner of the "Sheriff" vs."Kukesi" match, the team will reach the stage of the "playoffs" in Champions League for the first time in history of Azerbaijani football.

In contrast to the three previous seasons, this time chances are greatest.

According to Çelikel, their goal is to rise to the group stage of the Champions League: "Every year in the Champions League we manage to rise to the stage of the" playoffs". We do our best for this. So it will be this year. We will try to reach not only the stage of the "playoffs", but also to win a ticket to the group stage.”

At the first meeting with "Samtredia", "Qarabag" won with a score of 5:0. The return matches will be held on July 18-19.