Azizbek Ganiev: "I was surprised that the UAE chose a small stadium for the match with Uzbekistan"

Uzbek midfielder Azizbek Ganiev is currently playing for the UAE club Al Bateh. We had a short interview with Ganiev, who has played in 19 games in the UAE championship this season and has made 4 assists.

- This season has not been so successful for Al Bateh. But your personal results are in the same vein...
- You are right, our club did not start the season so well. After the head coach changed, the results changed for the better. We are trying to finish the championship as high as possible.

- Will you play for this club next season?
- I have another two-year contract with Al-Bateh. So, if I am lucky, I will play here next season and hope to improve my results.

- The Uzbekistan national team has an important match against the UAE on June 5. As a player playing in the UAE, what do you think about the national team of this country?
- You are right, our national team has a very important match ahead of it. The UAE also aims to prepare seriously for the upcoming matches. As you know, the head coach has changed. He wants to attract new local players to the national team. Nevertheless, God willing, the Uzbekistan national team will win this match and achieve a historic result.

- Why was it decided to hold the match against Uzbekistan in a smaller stadium when there are so many large stadiums in the UAE?
- I was also surprised to hear this news. I think they did this because Uzbek football fans have a strong presence in Asia. Maybe they planned to allocate less space for our fans.

- In recent years, there have been fewer Uzbek players in the UAE Championship. What do you think is the reason for this?
- The level of the UAE Championship is increasing due to foreign players. Therefore, if the foreign players playing here become a little loose, it is very easy to bring in another foreign player to replace you. If the Uzbek national team makes it to the World Cup, I think that the number of foreign players will increase significantly not only in the UAE, but also in other countries.

- You worked with Timur Kapadze at one time. What kind of coach is he?
- I participated in friendly matches against Iran and Uruguay under Timur Kapadze in 2018. He is a strong coach, he knows how to work with the guys, how to talk to them and how to play. Everyone witnessed this in the last two official matches. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!