According to Offsideplus.az , the French striker also revealed the reason for leaving "Gabala" and "Neftchi" during the conversation.
- When did you become interested in Apollo?
- The championship was going on in Azerbaijan, and Apollo started negotiating with my manager in May because they were interested in me. I said, "Why not?" We were in quarantine in Azerbaijan, we did not know whether the championship would continue or not. So I made my decision quickly.
- Did you have any other suggestions?
- I received offers from France, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. But I still wanted to play in European Cups. The only reason I chose this place was the desire to play in the Europa League. The player has several goals, one of which is to compete in European Cups.
- Which clubs were the offers?
- In the second league of France, "Clermont", "Le Havre", "Erzurum BB", which provided a ticket to the Super League in Turkey, were interested in me.
- So you preferred a career to money?
- Yes, I think I will still have time to earn more money. I get paid less in Apollo than in Neftchi. I came here because I wanted to have a better career. Following the coronavirus pandemic, it is normal for football players to reduce their salaries around the world. I didn't worry about losing money, because I moved to a good club. I think first of my career, then of money.
- You have twice been the top scorer of the championship in Azerbaijan. Is this your goal in Cyprus?
- This is not necessarily the goal. I'm thinking of scoring at least 10 goals. My main goal is to become a champion with the team. During my 4 years in Azerbaijan, I was able to be second with my team. I hope there will be a change here and I will win the championship. For me, it's worse to take second place than 3rd or 4th place. Because you are the first club to lose the championship. Being second in Azerbaijan gave me a lot of space.
- What are the differences between the Cyprus and Azerbaijani championships?
- First of all, there are more teams here, and only 8 clubs play in Azerbaijan. The level of the Cyprus championship is a bit high. There are better quality teams here. When the season starts in Azerbaijan, you know that 2-3 teams will fight for the championship, and some for the Europa League. In Cyprus, there are more clubs competing for quality and the title.
- What are the differences in terms of playing in two championships?
- More attention is paid to power. I wouldn't say football is more aggressive because in some cases you face teams where all 10 players run after the ball. I think the main difference is physical strength. The view of football in Azerbaijan is a bit different. One day you are the best, the next day you are the worst.
- What was the reaction of the fans of the first team to the change of "Gabala" to "Neftchi" in Azerbaijan?
- There were some reactions. When they appeared, they wrote something about it, and I responded to it via Instagram. But I have no problem with Gabala fans. Today, some people send me messages and ask about my condition on Apollo.
- During your stay in Neftchi, during the quarantine period, your photo in the form of Qarabag spread on the Internet, and this became a problem. How did you react to that?
- It was a quarantine period, I was sitting at home. I did not go anywhere, I rested and trained at the same time. My wife just took a picture of me and shared it, and the club presented it as a big drama. However, it was nothing special. Today you can see that everyone is talking about Qarabag. It was just the shirt of a friend of mine who played in Cyprus. Dino Ndlovu wore the same uniform when he played for Qarabag for the first time in the Champions League.
- What was the reason of your departure from Gabala to Neftchi?
- There were disagreements in the discussions on the contract. The club wanted a new 1-year contract, and I had a 2-year contract. It was a matter of complete detail. Also, the head coach was gone and I did not know which specialist would come. I think it was the right time to leave. In my opinion, a long-term contract is more important than finances.
(Apasport.az)