AZAD REHIMOV: THE MATCHES WITH ARMENIA MAY TAKE PLACE ONLY IN NEUTRAL FIELD

Azeri Press Agency
March 6 2007

"We cannot raise the flag, or play the anthem of a country that has
occupied 20 percent of our lands"

Youth and Sports minister Azad Rehimov interviewed by APA-Sport agency

-Is there any latest news about the place of the matches between
Azerbaijani and Armenian national squads?

-Azerbaijan has over one million refugees and displaced people. Their
parents and relatives were killed by Armenians. We cannot guarantee
that none of them will attack and beat Armenian players during the
matches. We cannot raise the flag, or play the anthem of a country
that has occupied 20 percent of our lands. This is our last decision.

We don’t want Azerbaijan-Armenia matches to take place neither in
Baku nor in Yerevan. Azerbaijan has already expressed its position
to the UEFA. The matches may take place only in neutral field.

– May any problem occur in a neutral field?

– It has been many times that the countries at war played in
neutral fields. If the UEFA passes a decision about the matches
to take place in Baku and Yerevan, we may receive technical 0-3
defeat. We are ready even to admit it. While being in Switzerland,
I asked the UEFA vice-president and chief of the commission for
place of Azerbaijan-Armenia match if any sanction will be imposed on
Azerbaijan in case if Armenian players are injured by the fans. He said
"yes". Then I asked what they want. I asked if they want us to line
soldiers and police officers from airport to the hotel. It is not
a football. How it is possible that our enemies arrive at the hotel
with security. The negotiations are being carried out on the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict between the countries. Any event in the stadium in
Baku may negatively influence the negotiation process. May the UEFA
officials ensure that such events will not ruin the talks?

But we haven’t received any answers yet.

– What do you think about the matches to be in a closed stadium?

– Not all the factors I stated concern the fans. I don’t speak about
raising Armenian flag and playing its national anthem. There are many
refugee families settling in the hostels near the ministry. How can
they be calm if they know Armenians are playing in the other side of
the fence? The guaranty is a very serious issue.

– Why did you accept Armenians’ participation in the world wrestling
championship to take place in September in Baku?

– Armenia has no strong wrestlers. They have included 5 wrestlers from
Ossetia in their national team. They will attend the competition. As
the wrestling is not very popular, no Armenian fan will come to
Baku. Taking into consideration all these factors, we accepted that
they come to Baku. It is possible to ensure security of few Armenian
sportsmen in Sports Concert Complex.

– Armenians in Russian national team also refuse to come to Baku…

– It is up to them. They had also refused to join world boxing cup.

They refuse because they are afraid. Armenian champion Punik club
refused to play against Azerbaijani Neftchi in the Unity Cup last year
in Moscow. They said Russian Federation didn’t guarantee their safety.

– You have proposed to play in Austria, Switzerland or Ukraine. Did
you have any discussions with these countries?

– The AFFA addressed to the football federations of the UEFA member
states when we decided to play in neutral fields. More than half of
the countries gave positive answers. The AFFA chose three of them. I
think this is a right choice.

– Youth and Sports Ministry has announced to build a stadium admitting
70.000 people if Azerbaijan will be allowed to host Olympiad. Have
you choose place for the construction yet?

– There is a large field around the road to the airport. It is possible
to build not only a stadium, but also a Olympian town there.

There are also suitable places in Hovsan and Nobel Avenue. But for
now the main objective is to pass to the second stage among those
who intend to host 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

– What steps are you taking forward on the issue?

– We will present all necessary documents in time. We are working on
this. The other ministries also assist us as well.

– Foreign players are being included in the national football team of
Azerbaijan. How heartily can they play at the matches against Armenia?

– First of all, this is the selection and strategy of the head coach.

As a ministry, we cannot interfere with the plans of the coach. I
think Azerbaijani football needs foreign players now, because we
need better games to attract people and to make football popular in
Azerbaijan. It is a pity that local players cannot play well. It is
good to pick foreign players in the first stage. Thy play, they win
and people become interested and come to the stadium. It makes the
children to be interested in this sport. You can see how well the
national underage teams play. It serves to a gradual development of
football. As for foreigners’ playing heartily, of course, they won’t
be as selfless as Azerbaijanis. But they are paid salary and they
play well. I think they can achieve result.

– But there is no improvement in the national team though foreign
players have included in there…

– The most titled club of the world Real has only two qualified
Spanish players-goalkeeper Iker Casilias and forward Raul Gonsales.

But Real is famous as a Spanish club. Foreign players represent not
their homeland but the team they are playing in.

– 3+2 legionary limit have been put in our clubs. How expedient is
it to pick 6 foreigners in lineup?

– We have proposed the AFFA to discuss the limitation in the
conference, because the appeals and complaints by the clubs should
be reconsidered. It is in AFFA’s authority to put the issue in
discussion of football society. If clubs have proposals on the
limitation of players, it is better to hold a conference. The issue
will be reconsidered on April 26.

– There will be new elections to the AFFA at the end of the year.

Considering the problem that occurred between former leadership of
the federation and the ministry, how would you assess the activity
of current leadership?

– Former leadership of the AFFA had problem with not only the
ministry, but also with whole Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani football has
been entrusted to the AFFA. They operate by analyzing their duties. I
can assess them. Actually, they may be assessed according to the
results. Personally, I think football needs ten years to be improved.

– As far as is known, state officials in the national federations will
be replaced with a business people. Don’t you think this process should
be accelerated in order to ensure the freedom of the federations?

– I should state that our federations are free. If federation
chairman is a state servant, it doesn’t mean this organization is not
free. Sport is not a dividend field in Azerbaijan. The players don’t
earn much salary. The channels spend a great amount to broadcast any
international competition. But they don’t earn enough money from the
ads. Our sportsmen have no deal with foreign companies. Football is
not a beneficial field in Azerbaijan. We spend a lot of money to this
field to develop it. The players have problems which needs someone
to solve them. Youth and Sport ministry does everything possible to
solve financial problems. State officials can afford it. It is not
any financial problems. That’s why the various kinds of sports have
been entrusted to state servants.

– When is the president of Fencing Federation elected?

– We have no candidate who can be engaged in the problems of fencing.

The problems on this field should be raised in state, Parliament or
some ministry. We haven’t chosen anyone-sportsman, businessman or
state servant. We have offered the post to the businessmen as well
as state servants. Some have much work and some intend to be engaged
in other fields.

– Freestyle wrestling and lawn hockey federations are led by the same
person. Azerbaijan has opportunities to be represented in Olympic
Games in both fields. Won’t it be difficult to focus on both fields?

– Minister of Taxes Fazil Mammedov is the president of both
federations. But as we are informed, minister and his deputy have
shared the fields. Thus Fazil Mammedov is engaged in freestyle
wrestling and deputy minister Namig Aliyev is engaged in lawn hockey.

Fazil Mammedov is de-jure the president of both federations. The law
doesn’t forbid this.

– The attention to non-Olympic games differs from Olympic ones. Is
it connected with that non-Olympic games are not so popular?

– Karate is the second most popular sport after football in Azerbaijan
as well as in the world. We cannot say that karate is out of the
attention. 15 karate federations have united lately and formed a
Council. The ministry has allocated money to the Council. The Council
is to inform the ministry about honorary titles, categories of coaches,
foreign passports, military service of the sportsmen and etc. Sambo
was created during the former USSR period. It becomes less popular
in the world. But we contribute to the Sambo Federation and sambo
fighters. We also help chess players, kick boxers and powerlifters
in Azerbaijan. Baku will host European bodybuilding championship in
May. We focus on the organization of the competition and contribute
to it. Of course, there is a difference in financial support to the
Olympic games and non-Olympic games. Olympic sport games are of great
importance for the country.

– Have you taken any measure against the injustice that Azeri chess
player Teymour Radjabov faced in Mexico?

– Foreign Affairs Ministry invited Mexican ambassador to Turkey to
the Azerbaijani embassy in the same country. The embassy expressed
protest against the negligence by Patsuaro city structures to
the robbery. Patsuaro Mayor received Azerbaijan Chess Federation
vice-president Faig Hesenov and presented him a computer as
compensation. He said the event is being investigated by the police
and promised that the robbers will be found soon. Besides, we also
sent a protest letter to the International Chess Federation. We have
also suggested changing the date of competition which world famous
grandmaster doesn’t participate in.

– Sport has not been organized in high level in the Olympic Complexes
in the regions. What measures are you going to take as an adequate?

– The sport is organized well in Olympic Complex in Ganja. It is
never empty. There are always trainings and competitions. Guba
Olympic Complex also often hosts competitions. The complex provides
all opportunities for good training. Sheki Olympic Complex is being
repaired now. The complex in Shamakhi is not so active. But we are
working on it. I wish Mashtaga Olympic Complex to have competitions
more often. Olympic Complex should be near the city. Children shouldn’t
get there by bus or any other vehicles. Some complexes in the regions
are not so active because children there are interested in non-Olympic
games. Some complexes suffer financial problems. We are engaged in
this issue. There is a proposal to give a license to the complexes
free of charge. This will give the ministry an opportunity to be aware
of events in the regional complexes. The Olympic Complexes should be
closely connected and cooperate with federations and ministry.

– There is one more problem that some children are not allowed to
the complex because they don’t afford it.

– We have passed decision that time and dates should be scheduled for
national teams. The sportsmen should train in the complexes free of
charge if they have competitions or trainings in the regions.

Besides, poor children should train in the section of the complexes
free of charge. To organize a two-hour training twice or three times
a week won’t harm the activities of the complex. It won’t be damaged
by sharing 6 or 8 hours for free trainings if the complex operates
and earn all day long.