BAD LUCK

The leader of Azerbaijani football, FC Neftchi, is going through a difficult period of its eighty-one-year history. The team is firmly entrenched in the bottom of the standings, and even the periodic attempts to reform the club fail. A symbol of domestic football for many years, Neftchi is not able to find a way out of this situation.

In addition, the frequent changes of the head coach and president have significantly spoiled the club’s image. Last year many believed that with the new president Orkhan Huseynzadeh everything would run smoothly. However, the hopes did not materialize. But this appointment was followed by yet another change of leadership. The former president of the FC Sumgayit, Kamran Guliyev, was assigned to work with Neftchi.

Undoubtedly, the new president will change the coaching staff. However, a right moment for the change is crucial. In fact, any decisions related to players will have to be postponed until the summer. Currently, Neftchi has the third largest budget in the Azerbaijani Premier League. However, considering high operating costs and even payments to former players, the invitation of strong players looks unrealistic.

Although Neftchi has made it to the semi-finals of the Azerbaijan Cup, it has the fifth place in the Premier League, which does not make it qualified for the European Cup. In the semi-finals of the Azerbaijan Cup, Neftchi’s rival will be the ambitious team of Gabala. And if by the end of the season Neftchi does not qualify for the European Cup, the resignation of the coaching staff is inevitable.

However, the new president looks quite optimistic about his team. “Neftchi is the most famous club in the country. Being a part of the team is an honour for everyone. Everyone knows that in Sumgayit, and before this club, I have always supported teamwork, team spirit. We will work together like a single fist. I need to get to know each player better to have a personal opinion about everyone. I am not going to rush in this case. At the same time, I will not tolerate those who lack at least one of the three qualities: punctuality, dedication, and loyalty. This applies to both the football players and the staff. Only those who are worthy of Neftchi will work here,” said Kamran Guliyev in his interview with R+, adding that he has been an avid fan of the Blacks and Whites since his childhood.

“I was born into a family of oil workers. My grandfather, as well as other relatives, were specialists in this field. Therefore, I have been a fan of Neftchi since my childhood. Many of my peers were fond of football just because they loved this club. I do not want to highlight the problems for now. I think the main problem is the lack of unity in the team. Wherever I worked, the most important issue was the atmosphere inside the club. We must improve this atmosphere,” said Guliyev.

The newly appointed president has requested the sports director and his team to look for players for separate positions. But players can be invited only with the consent of the head coach. “There is no other model in the world. Neftchi has a great potential for playing with local players. We will be more sensible to this issue. Neftchi must be comply with its glory, be on the very top. But this takes time. As for the legionnaires, it is necessary to invite several strong players to increase competition within the team, and to make local football players to learn from them. This is our main strategy,” explained Kamran Guliyev.

As for the current season, Guliyev did not want to talk about high results. Noting that he joined the team recently, Neftchi's president at the same time does not exclude a possibility of playing at the end of the season in European competition. “But I need to gather accurate information about the state of the team. Only after this, we can determine the goals. We will try to break through with the team in the Euroleague. Obviously, it will be a big failure for us to be overboard European cups for the second time. We are here to make progress. Of course, Neftchi should represent the country in European competition; it is an indisputable fact. But I can share the details only after a close acquaintance with the team”, clarified Kamran Guliyev.

By the way, after the winter transfers, Neftchi has only one victory. After winning an outsider team Kapaz with a difference of a single goal, Neftchi then lost to Sumgayit (0:2). In the game with Zira, Tarlan Ahmedov's team failed to cope with its rival remaining in minority, finishing the match with a draw (1:1), which cannot be considered a positive result for Neftchi.

One of the main problems of Neftchi is the coaching irregularities. Another reason is the numerous errors in the transfer policy. This team has always attracted attention by strong legionnaires and local players. Unfortunately, Neftchi is the only domestic team with the weakest legionaries.

Perhaps the new president Kamran Guliyev is a chance for Neftchi to get out of the swamp of failures. Having won the general sympathies for his work done in Sumgayit, he is now facing yet another, even greater challenge. We will see the first results of Guliyev’s activities only in the new season. Therefore, we can expect serious reforms in the summer.