Former Azerbaijan national football player and Pro category coach Tarlan Ahmadov spoke with Offsideplus.az about his career and challenges faced in recent years.
- Tarlan, what are you currently working on? Have you received any offers from clubs?
- I have been unemployed for about 2 years. During this time, I haven't received any offers. Neither I nor my representative have had any discussions with any club. All the rumors written about me are just that—rumors. There were speculations that I had talks with certain clubs, that I met with officials at a stadium… It's unnecessary to worry. Everyone should focus on their own work. The head coaches of the clubs where my name has been mentioned need not be concerned; they should focus on their own work.
- Why do you think you haven't received offers for such a long period?
- Honestly, I am surprised myself that I haven’t received any offers. I’ve worked for a year, delivered results, and then they slander me and fire me. They spread rumors that I couldn’t get along with club management. But no one questions how I delivered results if I couldn’t get along with them. In fact, it’s the management that didn’t get along with me. If we look at my time at AZAL, Neftchi, Keshla, and Kapaz, I produced good results at all four clubs, but each time, they parted ways with me. For example, during my second stint at Neftchi, the team had been finishing 6th or 7th in recent years. In the 2017/18 season, we won the bronze medal. Unfortunately, they smeared my name and removed me from the team.
- Why were you removed from Neftchi?
- The Azerbaijan Football Federation (AFFA) sent a letter to Neftchi management, alleging that I had collected money from players and fixed matches. An investigation was conducted, and it turned out that all of this was a lie.
- Your departure from Keshla was also quite unexpected…
- Yes, it was. I admit that my first season at Keshla was unsuccessful. However, in the second season, we finished among the top teams. The team was fully formed. But unexpectedly, the same scenario as at Neftchi played out. They dismissed me again.
- What about the negative information spread during your time at Kapaz?
- When I took over Kapaz, the team had 0 points after 6 rounds and was at the bottom of the Premier League. By the end of the season, we finished in 7th or 8th place, tied on points with Sumgayit. The main thing was that Kapaz remained in the Premier League. But again, they slandered me, put pressure on me, and didn’t extend my contract. They said I talked too much and didn’t care about football development.
- Did you know who was behind this?
- There is definitely someone behind this. The goal is to cast a shadow over my successes. My results don't benefit some people. In general, they don’t want me to work as a coach in the championship. Some club managers, when talking about me, say things like 'Tarlan Ahmadov’s character is bad.' It’s as if they want to marry me. They keep pushing out knowledgeable and skilled professionals like me. You know, in Azerbaijani football, representatives from all fields—art, education, and other sports—are present. But most of the veteran football players are left out. None of these veterans represent us in art, education, or other fields. We, who devoted our lives to football, are left with no place in it. They say 'Tarlan's character is bad,' 'Tarlan doesn’t get along with management.' They say, say, say… Not a single club manager came to me personally to say that we had a partnership, but you did something wrong, so our collaboration ended. All the things that are being said about me are just rumors. They smear my name and try to create a negative image about me so that I can’t become the head coach of any club.
- What are your expectations now, with the strategy for the development of football in Azerbaijan and new job opportunities?
- I don’t know where I’ll end up. It’s unclear whether I will work as a coach or not. It seems that my work principles, my building activity, and concrete results are not as important as the personal interests of some club managers. We see the steps being taken to develop football, but when it comes to us, they say, 'You’re not needed; we have other candidates.' Sometimes I wonder if I really played football, if I really became a European champion among young players. No one has investigated why I was fired from three clubs under the same scenario. Even the players I mentored were fired from their clubs. From the time I worked at AZAL until now, the talented young players I identified are now being benched because of me. They spread the idea that 'there are no knowledgeable specialists in Azerbaijan,' and this harms our football. We have enough coaches and specialists. But none of them are consulted by any club or AFFA. The Football Veterans Union president, Oktay Adullayev, isn’t involved in any collaboration. We veterans don’t have any future in the system. We are kept far away from everything. There are so many facts that I could expose. But today, many people aren’t interested in the truth. They prefer lies. Some people spread rumors about me and take advantage of it for their own interests, because baseless rumors are more appealing to them. Unfortunately, society today values lies and rumors more than truth. Nevertheless, I will always protect my rights. I repeat, I’ve never received an offer from any club, so no head coach needs to worry. The football industry now works on a carousel principle—one coach leaves a club and immediately moves to another. There are coaches who’ve spent years fighting to stay in the Premier League, but when I win a medal with a team, I’m immediately fired. Yes, I am a person who loves discipline, and discipline is my top priority. Perhaps this character trait doesn’t sit well with some people. What I’ll be doing in the future is unclear. I hope you will publish all of my words. I believe that if you care about the future of Azerbaijani football, you should investigate and shed light on these matters.
Idman.biz
