"Neftchi" will do everything to take its rightful place in the new season.
Oxu.Az reports that head coach Yuri Vernidub said this in an interview with the club's press service.
The experienced specialist commented on the extension of his contract:
"I thank the club management for showing great trust in me. When asked about the new contract, I told them: if everything is fine, why not sign a new contract?! I am satisfied with everything here. Baku is a beautiful city. The Azerbaijani championship is not bad, I would even say it is a strong championship.
Teams set the highest goals for themselves. That is very interesting for me. It is a very good project. I immediately agreed. I thank the club management once again for the new contract and the trust shown. You know, I had a one-year contract, now the agreement period is two years. Therefore, together with the coaching staff and players, we will work harder. We will do our best so that "Neftchi" takes its rightful place. And that, you know, is the highest positions."
The Ukrainian specialist first assessed the first stage of the training camp:
"It turned out that we will start the UEFA Conference League from the second round. Therefore, our matches will be on July 23 and 30. Because of this, we had more time, and we started our 8-day microcycle on June 20 at our training base in Baku. We had a training camp. I think everything went as we wanted. We worked well with the players. We laid the foundation so that we can continue our work. Everything is starting anew. On the last day of the first stage of the camp, we held a bilateral match. After a one-day rest, on June 29, we will go to Slovenia for a two-week training camp. There, we will work more on technical and tactical moves, play matches, and form the squad. We will organize 4 friendly matches in Slovenia. We will return on July 14. Then, in a one-week microcycle, we will prepare for our first official match."
He shared his impressions of the players brought into the team during the summer transfer window:
"After I came to "Neftchi" in December, we finished the first part of the championship and went to Abu Dhabi for a training camp. From that time, we started working to strengthen the squad. We knew we would need fresh blood. Therefore, we were searching for the past 5-6 months. I am grateful to our scouts who worked during this time. They did their best to find and bring these players, to strengthen our team. I believe these transfers will make us even stronger. They are good transfers. For example, Rufat Abbasov is a young player, also a member of the national team. Everything is starting anew with him. We will work together. As far as I know, he is a product of "Neftchi". Gravilion is also a good central defender. He can cover the right side, as well as the six and eight positions. In my opinion, we have strengthened well. As for the attack, Klisman integrated into the team very well. We worked with him for 8 days and I saw that he is a very professional person. He is hardworking and works on himself, which is what we wanted. Also, Lyubomir Tupta is a striker who can play across the front line - as a winger, center forward, and even as a '10' or '8'. I want our players to have a wide profile. We don't want them to be just a left-back. They must be able to play in any position and do so when needed. They are ready to cover any position. I think our new transfers are good players, they will strengthen "Neftchi", and together with them we will achieve our goals."
Yuri Vernidub provided information about transfer work and the possible transfer of Freddy Vargas, whose loan period with "Neftchi" has expired:
"We work every day. We have a very good selection department. They have a lot of work, they work every day. They send us new offers, and we look and choose. In this regard, everything is very good. I am very satisfied with the high level of the selection service. As for Freddy Vargas, you know he was on loan with us, but after the loan, he returned to the Israeli club that owns him. There are questions about some issues, but we are still waiting. Our club management is working on this matter. It is possible that everything will work out as we want, and Vargas will return and help our team as before. Especially in the last 9 games, he played as a striker. I think this would strengthen our squad even better. I cannot say anything else about this now, but the club management is working on it."
The head coach thanked the fans for their great support:
"I am grateful to the fans for their incredible support. They gave us great support in the championship. Without them, it would be very difficult for us. However, I would like them to support us more, to come to our games. I would like "Neftchi"'s stadium to always be full. Indeed, when there are many people in the stands, everyone supports our club, it is very nice. It becomes very interesting for everyone. I thank the fans once again for last season and wish them even better in the new season. Come to our matches, and we will do our best to make it interesting and joyful for you."
