Former coach of Azerbaijan’s national football teams across various age groups, Arif Asadov, shared insights with Idman.biz.
- Both our U-17 and U-19 teams faced defeats yesterday in the European Championship qualifiers, with scores of 0-4 to Hungary and 0-2 to Iceland, respectively. What are your thoughts on these matches?
- I'm aware of the results for both of our teams. Understandably, we’re in a challenging group, and it has become increasingly tough to compete in recent years. A lot depends on the first match—winning it could double our chances of advancing. Unfortunately, losing this first game doesn’t help, but let’s hope for better results in the remaining two matches.
- Our U-19 team hasn’t won in 9 matches, and the U-17 in 6. Can we look to the future with optimism?
- These statistics aren’t promising. Continuous losses mean our future generations are growing up with a defeatist mentality, which is worrisome. This stems from systemic issues in youth football—lack of player development and limited selection opportunities are primary concerns. While our coaches must rely on youth league players, their opponents often bring players already integrated into main teams. This discrepancy makes a difference.
- What needs to change for our youth teams to see better results? Where do you see solutions?
- I’ve managed teams in these age groups and was proud when our U-19 team advanced under my guidance. Back then, we had more selection options. For instance, we could bring in talented players like Elvin Mammadov and Cavid Huseynov from the First League. Our strategy involved regular tournaments and matches against older age groups to build resilience. Now, fewer tournaments and limited game practice, combined with declining local league quality, impact performance. The new leadership is currently developing a strategy, and we hope this includes a focus on youth development, because without a strong foundation, it’s tough to succeed.
- What role do our clubs have in this regard? How can Premier League coaches support this goal?
- Clubs need to give young players more chances. Not every team should only aim for international competitions but should also prioritize Azerbaijan’s football future and our national teams. For instance, Neftchi recently fielded 18-year-old Murad Mammadov with promising results. If every club could give 1-2 young players game time, our talent pool would broaden. The struggles of our U-21 team last year were largely due to the elimination of the league limit, reducing the pool of available players. Competing against England, for instance, our players come from lower leagues against their Premier League counterparts, creating a significant gap.
- Our senior national team has crucial matches ahead. What are your expectations for these games?
- We face important Nations League matches, particularly against Estonia. To avoid relegation to Division D, we need a win, ideally with a 3-goal margin. I’m confident in our team’s ability to win. Estonia is also aware of the stakes, as reflected in their interviews, so they’re preparing intensely for this match. It’s crucial for us to score early and avoid a defensive, time-wasting approach from them. We’ll be without key players—goalkeeper Shahruddin Mammadaliyev, and attackers Mahir Emreli and Renat Dadashov—but I believe we have what it takes to secure a win.
Emin Aga
Idman.biz
