The Professional Football League (PFL) plans to schedule the Azerbaijan Cup final match before the final rounds of the league championship.
Idman.biz reports that PFL’s Media and Marketing Director, Sanan Abdullayev, shared this with Report news agency.
He explained that they have been working on this plan: "We had considered determining the Azerbaijan Cup winner before the Premier League champion, in other words, holding the final match earlier, even last season. After analyzing certain factors, we postponed it. For the next season, we have specific ideas and are working on them. Our goal is to hold the Azerbaijan Cup final before the last rounds of the championship, and we are making plans accordingly. However, the teams must be ready to play every three days during that period."
Abdullayev emphasized that in many European countries, the cup competition ends before the league, and the final match often takes place midweek: "We must consider not only the finalists but also the other 10 teams. The balance between matches and rest must be taken into account for all teams’ schedules. It’s normal that the finalists will face a tight schedule during this time. Most likely, next season the cup final will be held before the last league rounds. Additionally, we need to consider players’ and teams’ rest after the season, call-ups for the national team, and training camps for teams that will participate in European competitions."
He also spoke about the breaks in the 12-team, triple round-robin Premier League: "More detailed information about the breaks will be provided at the draw ceremony on July 18. Overall, the somewhat late start of the championship on August 15 means more time for preparation or rest. Clubs will also have more opportunities for rest or training during the winter break."
The draw for the new Azerbaijan Premier League season will be held on July 18.
Idman.biz
