Orkhan Mammadov: Second victory at the European Championship is a major event for the sports and football of Azerbaijan

The national mini-football team of Azerbaijan has won the European championship title for the second time in its history, which is a landmark event for the country's sporting life and football community.

As reported by BAKU.WS, this was stated to a Report correspondent in Bratislava by Orkhan Mammadov, president of the Mini-Football Federation (MFA) of Azerbaijan, commenting on the team's victory at the tournament in Slovakia.

He congratulated all fans, as well as the sports and football community, on the victory:

"This is a victory of historic proportions. The fans provided us with tremendous support. They came from numerous European cities. I want to express my gratitude to each of them. Special thanks to our embassy in this country. From the very first day, they provided us with invaluable assistance. It is a great honor for us to once again reach the top of European mini-football. This is a significant event for all Azerbaijani sports and football."

Mammadov recalled that back in 2022 the national team won the European championship and noted the special symbolism of the current achievement:

"Last year we took first place at the World Championship in Baku. In the recent matches, we faced strong opponents. I want to thank all the players, the coaching staff, and our employees working at the federation. This is a truly significant event. It is a great honor for us to become the holders of the European championship gold for the second time. After our victory at the World Championship, President Ilham Aliyev stated that a special responsibility has now been placed on us, and the attitude toward our team will change. That is exactly what happened. The head of state emphasized that we need to work hard to repeat this result. We were aware of how difficult this task would be. We express our deep gratitude to our esteemed president. From the very first days, he provided tremendous support for the development of this sport. The federation received financial support. Being received by the head of state twice is a matter of special pride for our entire team."

The president of the Mini-Football Federation of Azerbaijan explained the reason for their dominance on the European and world stage:

"Since the founding of the federation, we selected the right players and gradually formed the core squad of the team. The head coach also plays a major role in these successes. Elshad Guliyev has been leading the team for several years now. Thanks to his hard work, we were able to assemble such a team. This shows that there are good athletes and football players in Azerbaijan; you just need to work hard. Because our state provides every possible support. Where there is belief and hard work, there are always results."

It should be noted that in the final match of the European Championship, the Azerbaijani national team confidently defeated Ukraine with a score of 2:0, demonstrating solid defense and effective attack throughout the entire match.