Adino Mustedanagic, the head coach of Sabah’s U19 and reserve teams and the academy director, has been working in Azerbaijan for six years.
In an interview with Sportinfo.az, he shared his insights on youth football in the country, Idman.biz reports.
– You’ve been at Sabah for many years. What have you achieved so far?
– I'm nearing the end of my sixth year here. I believe we have maximized the potential of the conditions we had. We had KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to evaluate our progress. At one point, 4-5 academy players were in the first team. Our youth teams contributed the most players to the national teams at various age levels. Our teams won several tournaments, and we sent talented players to Dinamo Zagreb for training, even competing in the UEFA Youth League.
– What could have been done better? Were there obstacles?
– There’s always room for improvement. When I arrived, the Sabah Academy was in challenging conditions. Despite the difficulties and limitations, I think we did well. Clubs can only operate within the framework set by AFFA (Azerbaijan Football Federation). Given these constraints, we performed admirably. Unfortunately, for further progress, better conditions are required. The pandemic also delayed some of our plans. Additionally, the lack of dedicated training facilities for the academy remains a major problem. Hopefully, this issue will be resolved next season.
– How many youth players can we expect to see in Sabah’s first team next season?
– Some are already training with the senior squad, and more will get the opportunity. However, the goal isn't just to reach the first team—it's to stay there and thrive. Rushing young players into senior football can have serious consequences. They need to iron out their weaknesses in lower leagues, as it's difficult to do so at the first-team level.
– Academy graduates like Abdulla Rzayev and Şakir Seyidov aren’t getting playing time in the first team, while others like Rauf Rustamli and Veysal Rzayev have moved elsewhere. Have you discussed this with the head coach?
– Yes, I have. I spoke extensively with former head coach Rendulić, and now I’ve also had discussions with Vasiliy Berezutskiy. They genuinely care about young players, but top teams require quick results, making it difficult to consistently integrate youth players.
– How would you describe Azerbaijani youth football in one sentence?
– Short-term improvisation without long-term strategy or goals.
– What surprises you the most about youth football in Azerbaijan?
– There are both positive and negative surprises. What shocks me daily is the low football intelligence among young players. I don’t think there’s any other country in the world where so much talent goes to waste. Over these six years, I’ve seen exceptionally gifted players whose careers ended prematurely due to injuries. This isn’t just due to poor conditions but also because of a lack of proper strategy and coaching at youth levels.
– What prevents Azerbaijani youngsters from training in European academies like Dinamo Zagreb, Partizan, or Crvena Zvezda?
– We have sent players to Dinamo Zagreb. Initially, we focused on U-19 and U-17 players, including Khayal Aliyev, who is now part of the senior national team. However, after analyzing the results, we decided it’s better to send U14 or U15 players so we can catch them at the right developmental stage. The last batch of players sent to Croatia was personally selected by Dinamo officials. When sending players abroad, it's also crucial to handle all the necessary paperwork properly.
Idman.biz
