On the eve of the European Championship, forward of the Kazakhstan futsal team Albert Akbalikov told Sputnik Kazakhstan about his expectations from the upcoming tournament and promised to please the fans.

- Albert, first of all I want to ask how the team prepares for the European Championship? How are you feeling?

- I feel good. Now we are getting in shape, training is going on as usual. Due to the increase in patients with coronavirus around the world, preparations for the European Championship have been a little crumpled.

- Due to the outbreak of coronavirus in the world, you were unable to play two friendly matches against Ukraine. How will this affect the preparation for the Euro?

- Of course, it would be better for us to play these two matches. But due to the coronavirus and the state of emergency in our country, we were unable to fly to Ukraine.

- How did the coaching staff adjust the training due to the cancellation of two matches?

- Now we train in the capital of Kazakhstan. Instead of sparring, we have more training work.

- Higuita, Tynan and Douglas have already joined the team? The media wrote that they had difficulty getting to Kazakhstan.

- Higuita and Tynan arrived a little earlier. Douglas arrived on the night of Friday to Saturday, January 15th. The guys were supposed to return to Kazakhstan from vacation on January 3, but due to unrest in Kazakhstan, they joined the team much later.

- What is the goal of the national team at the European Championship?

- Reach the semi-finals of the European Championship. We have already achieved this result. And there, depending on the opponent, see what can happen. I really want to be in the final for the first time in the history of Kazakhstan.

- Who are your main rivals?

- If you look at the opponents in the group, it will not be easy. Italy, Slovenia, Finland - all the teams are very difficult. Italy is probably our main rival in the group stage, they have a strong team. We need to get out of the group, and there we don’t choose opponents. We will gradually prepare for each new opponent.

- After a serious injury, Leo returned to the national team, he was not at the World Cup. To what extent will his return be an important factor in the successful performance of the national team in the tournament?

- Leo did not train for seven months due to a serious injury. Now he is proving through training that he can return to his previous high level. I think that by the European Championship he will be able to show 70 percent of what he can do in the best shape. He is a very important player for us.

- After the enchanting success at the World Cup, the fans have high expectations from the team's performance. How much does it psychologically put pressure on the team?

- After the World Cup, the fans expect more from us. The price of our mistake has become much higher. At the same time, we do not consider ourselves the favorites of the European Championship. In every match we fight for the honor of the country, we give all our strength on the floor. We want to once again show a worthy result, especially in such a difficult time.

If we compare the World Championship and the European Championship, then it is much harder to achieve a good result at the European Championship.

- Why?

- There are no weak teams at the European Championship. For example, at the World Championship in the group, we could win, playing not at full strength, but now it will not work out that way. Italy, Slovenia are very difficult rivals. We have never played with Finland, so we also approach this game with caution. The level of teams at the European Championship is more even and serious.

- Do you have personal goals and objectives for this championship?

- My goal is to become the team's top scorer at the European Championship and show a result above my level. I want to add it in the game plan.

Recall that the European Championship will be held in the Netherlands from January 19 to February 6. In group B, the Kazakh national team will play against Italy, Slovenia and Finland.

Game schedule:

January 20, 22:30. Kazakhstan - Slovenia

January 25, 01:30. Finland - Kazakhstan

January 28, 22:30. Kazakhstan - Italy

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