On June 19, midfielder, team captain Odil Akhmedov announced his retirement in the Uzbekistan national team.

As Kun.uz correspondent reports, he said this during an extraordinary congress of the Uzbekistan Football Association.

“Today we talked a lot, but I want to say one thing - football cannot be fooled. If we do not change today, then in 4 years we will again stand here and ask for forgiveness. May it be a footballer, a coach or a person who works in this area, but if the interests of football are not above all, then there will be no result either,” he said.

Odil Akhmedov stressed that “there are many small details in football”.

“If I start to say all the details, it will seem that I am making excuses. People who understand football will understand the problems. One of the main problems is that we are not developing children’s football. If there is no foundation, there will be no result. I am finishing my career in the Uzbekistan national team,” he concluded.