Football

Home page

Football

Veli Gasimov: I was threatened to be sent to Nagorno Karabakh war if I donâ€™t play in Neftchi

16 February 2007 11:26 (UTC +04:00)

â€œNot many things connect me with Azerbaijan. My parents died and I have only a brother. I want to bring him and his family to Spainâ€?, former striker of Azerbaijani national squad who lives in Seville Veli Gasimov told APA-Sport.
He spoke about his coming to Neftchi team.
â€œNo one had a business with me in Neftchi when I was 14. They promised to pick me to the review. But they didnâ€™t phone. I went to Kharkov city to a friend of mine. They began to call me back to Baku after I was European champ in 1985 in USSR under-17 team. They imposed pressures on my father in Ganja. They told him to make me return. Local party committee deputy chief visited our house personally. He threatened my parentsâ€?, he said.
Veli said he had been registered in some military unit after the parentsâ€™ consent and played in Neftchi.
â€œBut a Russian captain, appointed to the same military unit ordered to gather all soldiers. Captain didnâ€™t care I was a football player. He came to the team for me. I wasnâ€™t allowed to go because we were at the training. But the captain came out to be very stubbornâ€?, he said.
After that Neftchi contacted Fuad Musayev who was Baku executive committee chief. Musayev made everything in order. After the military service Veli tried to leave Neftchi as soon as possible.
â€œThe team was breaking before my eyes. But it was hard to leave. I went to Vladikafkaz to Valeri Gazzayev. I passed all trainings there but the clubs couldnâ€™t reach an agreement. Tarkhanov called me to Tashkent in 1991. But after the USSR ruined Tarkhanov was invited to Spartak. He included me to his team as well. But I wasnâ€™t allowed to transfer for long time. Treats began again. They said that if I donâ€™t come they will sent me to the war in Nagorno Karabakhâ€?, he said. /APA/