In the 3rd qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League, ahead of their match against North Macedonia’s club “Shkëndija,” Qarabağ’s head coach Qurban Qurbanov spoke cautiously during the pre-match press conference. Referring to Shkëndija’s victory over a strong Romanian team, he said, “We will be playing against a motivated team.” Qurbanov added, “We must stay fully focused for the full 90 minutes.”

He also spoke in a similar tone about potential playoff opponents: “Whether we win or lose, our opponent will be either Ferencváros or Ludogorets. We’ve played against both. Whether we continue in the Champions League or the Europa League, interesting matches await. We’re opponents who know each other well.”