Qarabag coach Gurban Gurbanov reacts to 1–3 loss to Athletic Bilbao

Qarabag coach Gurban Gurbanov congratulated Athletic Bilbao on their first Champions League win after a 3–1 victory over the Azerbaijani side in Bilbao.

“It was a very good game for the fans. We wanted at least a draw and had chances for it. As I said before the match, we would fight until the end — and we did,” Gurbanov said.

He noted that Athletic maintained a high tempo throughout the match and that his players struggled against a dynamic opponent. “At 1–2 we took risks, which opened spaces. The second goal affected the game, but we didn’t back down.”

Gurbanov also mentioned a possible unawarded penalty and said Qarabag would analyze their mistakes. “Athletic’s skill level was higher. We had the desire, but small details decided the result. Today we probably deserved to lose,” he said.

The coach praised young Azerbaijani players Nariman, Elvin and Toral, adding that 21-year-old Nariman had made a big contribution to the team’s Champions League success despite heavy pressure.