Former Azerbaijani player Adil Shukurov spoke to Idman.biz about the latest developments at Sabah FC.
- Sabah parted ways with Krunoslav Rendulic. Did you expect this?
- Sabah's decision to part ways with Rendulic showed that the management was dissatisfied with his recent results and had already discussed terms with Vasili Berezutski beforehand. This outcome was expected. A pattern has formed at Sabah—regardless of contract lengths, there is typically a coaching change every year and a half.
- Do you think it would have been better for the team to wait until the winter break, with only four matches remaining?
- The club’s management has its own approach. Since coming to the Premier League, they’ve always followed a distinctive strategy and remain loyal to it today. Of course, it could have been possible to improve the situation in the four remaining matches before the winter break and climb higher in the league table. The decision on which coach to proceed with is made by the management.
- How do you feel about Berezutski’s appointment, given that he has never been a head coach before?
- Yes, this will be his first job as a head coach. He had to start at some point. There's nothing unusual about this appointment. If it doesn't work out, the tradition will continue.
- Typically, Sabah hires coaches during the season, and if they don't achieve the desired results, they often use the excuse that the squad wasn't formed by them. Could this happen again?
- If I’m not mistaken, this club has always been involved in player transfers, and when a new coach comes in, they are informed about these transfers. Decisions about the future are made depending on results. This management style, if I’m not mistaken, is also practiced in Germany and Italy. It’s a club strategy. Recently, Sabah has been relying more on foreign coaches.
- Do you think Sabah can qualify for European competitions?
- When the club brought Rendulic after Murad Musayev’s departure, qualifying for European competitions was the main goal. If the results hadn’t been positive, the Croatian coach would have been let go in the summer. This was mentioned by the club’s president in an interview. So, the club was prepared for this situation. If Sabah, under Berezutski’s leadership, fails to qualify for European competitions, there could likely be another change. I believe the team still has a 100% chance of making it to European competitions.
Emin Aga
Idman.biz
