Gurban Gurbanov speaks to Russia’s Okko in Russian ahead of Qarabag–Chelsea clash

Qarabag head coach Gurban Gurbanov gave an interview in Russian to the sports platform Okko ahead of the Champions League Group Stage match against Chelsea.

Okko, which holds broadcasting rights for European competitions in Russia, sent a film crew to Baku to cover the match and produce live reports from the Tofig Bahramov Republican Stadium an hour before kickoff.

Speaking in Russian, Gurbanov compared the current Chelsea team to the one Qarabag faced in 2017.

“In 2017 Chelsea had a different coach and football itself was at a different level. Perhaps they play even faster today, with a different system and philosophy,” he said.
“We also had a good team eight years ago. We’ve grown a bit, but unfortunately Chelsea have grown even more,” he added with a smile.

Gurbanov said he encouraged his players to remain calm and confident on the field:

“I told them to stay focused, be composed, and play bravely. That can help us.”