The XXXII round of the Azerbaijan Premier League has made it official that Gabala will take the last place.
Idman.biz conducted a survey on which league the representative of the region will play in the next season.
The red-blacks, who won 2 silver and 3 bronze medals in the Azerbaijan Championships, lifted the Azerbaijan Cup twice and lost in the final 3 times, must play in the I League according to the regulations. However, there is also a possibility that the club, which has been in the Europa League group twice and has the best academy in the country, will remain in the elite due to the increase in the number of teams.
If Gabala leaves the Premier League, the established club will be upset for the second year in a row. A year before the red-blacks who have been playing in the elite since the 2006/07 season, Shamakhi, who played here since 1999, left the Premier League.
Elkhan Abullayev (head coach of our U-18 national team): "Unfortunately, Gabala wins the Premier League alone. Whether the team stays or goes is not up to us. I want the principle of sport to be protected. That's the main thing. You can't break the rules. If a team is bottom of the Premier League, they should do it alone. Gabala should be replaced by someone else. If we give concessions to one team, then we are doing injustice to others in previous championships. You can't encroach on someone's rights. Therefore, it is not correct. Gabala should leave for the sake of sticking to the principle of sports."
Ramin Musayev (former PFL president): "According to the regulations, Gabala must go and a club from the lower league must play in the Premier League. However, according to what I have seen from the press, the new president of AFFA, Rovshan Najaf, has given instructions on increasing the number of teams. I think that if this number increases to 12, Gabala should remain. Because their infrastructure is more than that of other clubs. The conditions, the academy and the number of stadiums are excellent. When necessary, PFL or AFFA used the arena of Gabala free of charge. The relegation of such a team means the loss of football there. It goes without saying that the team will be able to play in the lower league. But it will not be the same as before. The condition of the stadiums will not be given the same attention as before. If the number of teams is increased, there is no rival to Gabala among those coming from below. Then a choice must be made. It goes without saying that Zagatala and Shamakhi can enter the Premier League. But none of those teams have the same conditions as Gabala. Their fall is a loss for Azerbaijani football."
Arif Asadov (national team coach): "It can be said that Gabala has left the group of powers. It's a sad moment. We wouldn't want that. There are questions about whether Gabala will stay if the decision is made to increase the number of teams at the end of the season. We all want to see him in the Premier League. But in terms of violating the regulations, this is also not correct because it is against the rules. In terms of children's football, Gabala has already formed as an academy. After the arrival of the new head coach, one thing I would appreciate positively is that Kakhaber Tskhadadze gave preference to young players from the academy. We always said at the beginning of the season that it is necessary to work with this strategy. The staff had already changed. If they had done this from the beginning, the team would have matured both for the national team and the club."
Jeyhun Sultanov (former football player of the team): It is sad that Gabala is the last. But this is reality. I would like them to stay in the Premier League. Sports principles, if there are 10 teams, one must go, he says. No, if the number is increased to 12, it is possible to save Gabala. They can also play playoffs with the teams in the first division. This is not against the principles of sports. In my opinion, Gabala can be kept like this. Otherwise, there is no other way."
Mahir Rustamli (chief editor of Futbol+): "Gabala has a special place in the football history of the country. This club won the national cup twice in a row and competed in the group of European cups. If we are talking about the current season, it is impossible to justify Gabala in any way. Red-blacks won only 17 out of 96 possible points. Although he changed the head coach during the season, he was still unable to change the results and level of play and raise his game to a new level in terms of quality. I am a supporter of following the principle of sport. It will be better if Gabala starts the new season in I League. Let him prove himself in the lower league and return to the elite again. This is a more logical and intelligent approach. I am not in favor of artificially increasing the number of teams. I don't like this idea and I have madmen for it. Imagine that today four of the elite teams of the national championship are training on the field of the Baku Olympic Stadium. In addition, they live the life of a de facto refugee. They fled from their home stadium. Even so, it is not correct to increase the number of teams to 12. It is better to follow the principle of sports and the strongest of the lower group will come to the elite, and Gabala will go to the I league. Azerbaijani football will be hit, the world will not collapse. But what is the fate of the children who leave the academy of Gabala makes one wonder. In other words, will they be able to keep them with that funding or not... The best thing is to increase the number of teams to 12 and keep Gabala".
Banuchichek Huseynli
Idman.biz
