Azerbaijan Premier League club Sumgayit are close to appointing a new head coach following the departure of Sasha Ilic.
As İdman.Biz reports, citing futbolinfo.az, the club has spent nearly a month searching for a replacement. According to the report, Sumgayit president Riad Rafiyev has chosen a Portuguese coach, although the identity of the candidate has not yet been disclosed.
Negotiations between the two sides are still ongoing, with both parties expected to finalize the remaining details and sign a contract in the coming days.
The report also states that Jorge Casquilha, who recently left Imishli, was among the candidates for the position. However, the two sides failed to reach an agreement.
The main obstacle reportedly concerned transfer policy. Casquilha wanted to bring in several players of his own choosing, while Rafiyev insisted that the club's management would retain the final say on all transfer decisions. As a result, lengthy negotiations ended without a deal.
Sumgayit are preparing for the new Azerbaijan Premier League season and are looking to complete the coaching appointment before the team begins the next stage of its pre-season preparations.
