Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
Jan 28 2005
PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVES MEMBERS OF FC NEFTCHI
[January 28, 2005, 12:11:43]
On 27 January, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev
received at the Presidential Palace members of the Baku football club
Neftchi.
Congratulating them on successful performance in the Commonwealth Cup
in Moscow, President Ilham Aliyev noted that Neftchi represented
Azerbaijan in a worthy manner: it gained victory over all of their
group rivals, showed beautiful playing in the next round and reaching
final, scored the first goal in the match against very strong team
`Locomotive’, although failed to win the game. `Nevertheless, it is a
great success, which demonstrates again that sport is on a high level
in Azerbaijan,’ he said. The Head of State pointed out that `to win
victory over such teams as `Locomotive’ and `Dynamo Kiev’ is a really
great success. `Of course, reaching final is a great victory, but I
think, that over Armenian team is more valuable for us. It was really
historical victory,’ he said.
The President continued that, Azerbaijani athletes have always been
better that Armenians in other kinds of sport as well. `In the Athens
games, our sportsmen won 5 medals while Armenians not a single one.
In the previous Games, Azerbaijan won 2 gold and 1 bronze medal, and
Armenia – 2 bronze medals, but lost one of them because of doping
offence. This convincing victory over Armenians is not only a spot
victory, this is a victory of all of us,’ the President said.
Veteran of the FC `Neftchi’ Vidadi Rzayev expressed deep gratitude to
the Head of State for receiving them and said: before the match with
Armenia, Chief of our club Rovneg Abdullayev said it is our President
Ilham Aliyev and the people of Azerbaijan who first of all are
waiting for your victory. We were very much inspired with these
words, and did our best to gladden You and our nation.