“Qarabag” head coach Gurban Gurbanov assessed the episode that occurred in the final minutes of the Azerbaijan Cup semi-final match against “Sabah” as a situation that could have resulted in a penalty.
“Elchi” reports that the experienced specialist stated this at the press conference following the match.
He commented on the match they lost and the penalty episode:
“I congratulate the opponent on their victory. The fans truly witnessed a very entertaining game of football. Neither team wanted to lose. It was an intense battle until the end. I thank our fans for staying with us until the end. As for the penalty episode, the situation looked very much like a penalty. The chairman of the AFFA Referees Committee, Rahim Hasanov, will make a statement regarding this. The main figure who maintained the tempo of the game was Ravan Hamzazada. In matches officiated by him, the game rarely stops because he does not allow the tempo to drop by frequently pausing the play.”
According to Gurban Gurbanov, inviting head referees to VAR in most cases results in the initial decision being changed:
“It usually happens that way. Moreover, the fact that the episode occurred late in the game increases the discussions even more. When expressing an opinion in such cases, it is sometimes misunderstood. For example, Nariman Akhundzada made a mistake in the Europa League, but later compensated for it by scoring an important goal. He has been heavily criticized lately. Referees also face similar situations.”
The head coach stated that difficult defeats affect the team’s development:
“Today, a referee’s decision might overshadow the team’s hard work, but tomorrow the same thing will not repeat. Honestly, I feel a bit sorry for the referees. They also feel nervous when they step onto the pitch. I think it would be better for everyone to finish the season more calmly.”
It should be recalled that the “Sabah” – “Qarabag” match ended with a 2:1 victory for the “Owls”. Since the first leg ended in a 2:2 draw, the Baku club secured their place in the final. In the final minutes of the game, although the ball touched the hand of “Sabah” player Veljko Simic inside the penalty area, the match referee Ravan Hamzazada did not award a penalty.