Head coach of Gabala, Kakha Tskhadadze, in an interview with Offsideplus.az
– The season is almost over. Gabala secured the championship ahead of time and earned promotion to the Premier League. How would you describe this championship for your team?
– The season was stable for us. We played excellently and were well-prepared. As a club, Gabala successfully completed a huge task. By the beginning of the preseason, we had already built 95% of the squad. Our scouting process was done well, which is crucial. If everyone trains together from the start of the preseason, everything becomes easier. We changed 90% of the squad—only 1–2 young players from last season remained. Of course, financial conditions were completely different this year. Since no foreign players wanted to play in the First League, that created an extra challenge. But we found young players who were previously unknown. For example, 22-year-old Nigerian Abdullahi Shuaibu hadn’t played football for two years before joining Gabala. In short, we built the team from scratch and became champions. Naturally, this success was the result of everyone’s work in the club. In terms of physical performance, Gabala outperformed all other teams in the championship. None of our opponents could withstand us for more than 60 minutes. We focused on local players and the graduates of the Gabala academy.
– What difficulties did you face during the season?
– The only issue was the poor quality of the pitches. The style of football we teach relies on passing. And for passing football, you need good pitches. On bad pitches, all you can do is launch the ball forward randomly, which 80% of the teams in the First League do. But we don’t play like that. Gabala plays a passing, combination-style football using short and medium passes.
– You mentioned that there are many young players in the squad. The Premier League is at a completely different level. What will your transfer policy be for the next season?
– I’ll be honest: the Premier League's level has risen significantly this year. Compared to last season, the difference is huge. We must prepare for that. Many of the current players will remain—we’ll keep the "spine" of the team. But we definitely need reinforcements. Otherwise, we could face serious problems in the Premier League. Teams there don’t just kick the ball randomly or waste time—they play quality football. Since there will be no foreign player limit next season, the level will rise even more. Many foreign players will come to Azerbaijan. I’m not saying Azerbaijani players are weak, but the competition will become much tougher.
– Will you be strengthening the squad with foreign players?
– No. First, we’ll look at the local player market. Right now, we already have a core of local players in the squad, and we want to strengthen that base. Everything will be done according to our financial capacity. I admit, Gabala’s current financial situation is very different from 5–6 years ago. Forget about the budget we had back then. We must make transfers according to the budget allocated by the management. So we need to work hard on scouting, monitor players carefully, and make the right choices.
– We know you’re an ambitious coach, always competing for medals. You proved this during your first stint in Azerbaijan with Inter. Can we say that this is the beginning of Kakha Tskhadadze’s second chapter? Will we see a team under your leadership competing for medals in the Premier League again?
– Next season, Gabala will aim to consolidate its position in the Premier League. We want to implement a long-term project. We have agreed on this with Gabala’s president, Fariz Najafov. We’ll move forward step by step in the Premier League. The most important thing is that we kept our promise and won the First League. I’m extremely happy about that. We’ve completed our first task. Now, our goal is to solidify our position in the Premier League and continue working with our young players. We have 3–4 players aged 17 training with us. But the main objective in the Premier League is what I just mentioned. I don’t know—maybe the management will call me tomorrow and say the goal has changed. That’s a different matter. Everything depends on the management’s decision.
– What are your plans regarding Asif Mammadov, who played for Gabala for 10 years and will turn 39 this year?
– We’ll resolve Asif’s situation. He has made great contributions to Gabala and Azerbaijani football. Naturally, we don’t intend to let him go. We want him to stay with us. In what capacity he will assist us, we’ll discuss that internally.
– You’ve decided that the team will live in Gabala next season. Why is that?
– A club with such infrastructure shouldn’t be based in Baku. Which region does Gabala belong to? Gabala. So the team should live there. How can we ask fans to support us if we’re not even based in their city? If we didn’t have this infrastructure, I wouldn’t have made this decision. Do you know what’s happening in Baku?
– Yes, the football infrastructure there isn’t in good condition.
– Araz-Nakhchivan was forced to hold several training sessions in a gym.
– Now there are rumors that İmişli will move to Baku...
– Because “Imishli” doesn’t have the right to play on that kind of pitch. Neither Qarabag, Neftchi, nor Sabah would play on the stadium we used a week ago. It’s unacceptable! Playing on such a pitch is an insult to footballers. How can football develop? Through quick thinking, quick passes. What kind of development can we talk about if players can barely control the ball? Now Imishli and Karvan are moving to Baku. Tell me—where in Baku are there enough fields for all these teams to train? I’m against Gabala’s players living in Baku. I’ve made my suggestion. The final decision is up to Gabala’s management.
– Gabala used to be based in Baku mainly because of foreign players. They found Gabala boring...
– A foreigner cannot dictate to the club. If a foreign player agrees to sign a contract, he has no right to interfere in team decisions. Gabala offers great nature, great pitches, and a good hotel for our team. Everything is available here. We control the players’ diet and weight. When I came to Gabala a year ago, I almost lost my mind. I went to breakfast and saw lavash in front of the players. Big pieces... (he gestures a large circle with his hands – ed.). Every player had 3–3.5 kg of excess weight. Players must be kept under control. Gabala provides the perfect environment for this. If a player wants to wander around, let him do it at home—but not play football. Clubs pay good money to players for their work. Do you understand? A factory worker works from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for very little money. But a footballer earns well. That’s why they must repay that with their performance. That’s my personal opinion. As for whether Gabala’s players will live in Gabala—that’s up to the management.
Idman.biz
