Azerbaijani forward of the Albanian football club “Partizani” Vusal Iskenderli gave an interview to azerisport.com.
How are things going at Partizan?
Overall things are going well. There’s just not enough stability. We won three matches in a row, then lost the same number in a row. You know, here the first four teams reach the finals. We closed the gap with the leaders, then lost again. We need stability. Then everything will work out.
Now Partizani is in 5th place. Is it possible that the team will join the fight for the championship, or does it look difficult?
It’s possible. We still have many matches ahead. Of course there are chances. Time will tell how everything will turn out.
In general, if Partizani does not qualify for European competition, will this be very negatively perceived by the fans and the club management?
Partizani is one of the largest clubs here. The goal is always the same – winning the championship. We really want this. There is support from the management; they also really want the team to reach Europe. We will fight to the end.
In winter, you had the option to leave Partizani, since your name was often associated with Azerbaijani clubs. Why didn’t you leave?
The transfer window is still open. I had offers from three clubs from Azerbaijan. They were waiting for my response to send a formal proposal. That is, if I had said yes, they would have sent an official request to my club. There were also options from Kazakhstan and Turkey. And earlier, back in the summer, before signing a contract with Partizani, a club from North Macedonia sent a second offer. I have a contract for six months. The amount my current club asked for was simply incredible (laughs). My personal desire now is to stay in Partizan. But, if the club’s conditions are taken into account, if someone offers the amount they want, then perhaps something will change. This was the case with Egnatia. I can’t do anything about it. Because most Albanian clubs work on this system: if another club fulfills their conditions, they sell the player. But 60-70 percent I will still remain in Partizan.
It seems that the club that most persistently wanted to get you was Karvan-Yevlakh. You probably didn’t want to move from Partizani to a club that is struggling to survive?
I don’t think it’s right to name the clubs from Azerbaijan that were interested in me. I informed them that I would not be able to come. I wish all our clubs good luck.
Since you constantly play for your club, perhaps this time you are even more looking forward to an invitation to the Azerbaijani national team?
Since the day I arrived here, I have only missed one match – due to illness. He started all other matches in the starting lineup. Of course, I want to return to the national team. I knew that under Fernando Santos there would definitely be an invitation. There was just one issue with documents that depended on me, and it has already been resolved. In short, everything is settled now, and I’m waiting for a call to the national team.
Yusif Aliyev
