Vernidub says Neftchi dropped two points against Turan Tovuz

Neftchi head coach Yuri Vernidub discussed his team’s performance at a news conference after a 1-1 draw with Turan Tovuz in the ninth round of the Misli Premier League.

The Ukrainian coach said the opposition looked more dangerous in the opening 20 minutes and Neftchi were reduced to 10 men after a defender made an error. Despite that, his team scored and went into the break ahead. Vernidub said they switched to a 5-3-1 formation in the second half and did not allow their opponents chances before the equaliser. He thanked goalkeeper Emil Balayev. The coach said the team could be satisfied that it avoided defeat, but had dropped two points, adding that he wanted to win every match.

Vernidub said Igor Ribeiro should have reached the ball sooner in the incident that led to the defender’s red card. In his view, the player had no particular aggression towards his opponent and did not intend to injure him. The coach also commented on Ribeiro receiving his third red card in matches against Turan Tovuz. He recalled Ivan Petryak’s serious injury, which resulted in a skull fracture after a head-to-head collision in the Dinamo-Kudrivka match, stressing that players’ health comes first.

The head coach said it had been difficult for him that his team had failed to beat Qarabag, Sabah, Turan Tovuz and Zira. Neftchi led Qarabag 3-1 but the match ended 3-3, while they also had chances to win against Sabah. Vernidub noted that his team had stopped losing to those opponents and was competing with them on equal terms.

He said Emin Mahmudov was left out of the match squad because of a minor injury. Vernidub said he would check his schedule to see whether he could attend matches at the U-15 World Cup being held in Baku, although his workload could make it difficult to find time. He said the team’s analysis sessions were going well and that Spanish, French and English were used in training. Although interpreters were available, some players might not fully understand what was being said. He added that learning Azerbaijani would be easier for him.