"The decision to increase the number of teams in the Premier League from the new season is a positive step. God willing, in the future, the number of teams will increase even more, and along with that, the competition will also rise."
In an interview with Sportal.az, Azerbaijani coach Adil Shukurov shared his thoughts on recent developments in the domestic football scene, Idman.biz reports.
The 47-year-old expert believes that the championship format, once clarified, will make the league even more exciting: "As competition increases in the Premier League, the performance of teams in European competitions will also improve. In the past, Gabala represented Azerbaijan in the Europa League group stages for two consecutive seasons, Neftchi secured their first-ever group-stage qualification, and Qarabag has been consistently competing in the groups for 11 years. As these results improve, Azerbaijan's UEFA ranking will advance, and this will have a positive effect on youth football in the future."
Having managed both "Zira" and "Kapaz," Shukurov also commented on the upcoming removal of the foreign player limit in the Misli Premier League: "The abolition of the foreign player limit will not have a significant impact on the national team. The only potential effect could be the inclusion of naturalized players in our squad."
He went on to mention several naturalized players currently representing the national team, including Aleksandr Chertoganov, Branimir Subašić, Volodimir Levin, Dmitri Nazarov, Ernani Pereira, Fabio Luis Ramim, and Leandro Gomes, highlighting that the focus should shift more towards academies for the long-term development of players.
Idman.biz
