Interview with Baxtiyar Musayev, newly appointed head of the Scouting Department under AFFA's Technical Division, for Sportinfo.az
– Most players aim to become head coaches after ending their football careers. But you chose scouting instead. Where did your interest in this field come from?
– Yes, you're absolutely right. Like most footballers, I initially enrolled in coaching courses after retiring and obtained the necessary license. Then, the experienced specialist and elder figure in our football community, Agaselim Mirjavadov, invited me to "Khazar Lankaran". According to the club’s plans, there was a scheduled trip to Brazil to scout young and talented players. I was sent to Brazil to assess potential recruits for the team. After that trip, I started working both as a coach and a scout. I'm grateful to Agaselim Mirjavadov for entrusting me with that responsibility.
– As a player, you stood out for your technique and vision on the field. Now, as a scout, you’re noted for your keen eye. What's the secret?
– First of all, thank you for the kind words about my ability in this field. I don’t know if it’s a special skill or not, and I can’t say exactly what plays the biggest role in it. Maybe I was just lucky from a young age to work under good coaches. At just 17, I was invited to “Neftchi” and made my debut in the USSR Championship under the guidance of Ruslan Abdullayev. I believe that learning from such coaches helped develop my abilities. Also, my education played a major role. I’ve always been immersed in football, studied it a lot, and played as a playmaker myself. All of this contributes. Playing as a number 10 is brain work, you need ball control and quick thinking. These qualities have always helped me in my work.
– You previously helped clubs, including “Qarabag”, with player recruitment. Can you name some players you helped bring to Azerbaijan?
– I've worked at several clubs, “Khazar Lankaran”, “Neftchi”... Thankfully, many of the players I helped bring in were valuable assets. At “Khazar Lankaran”, there were players like Diego and Mario Souza; at “Neftchi”, Flavinho, Eric Ramos, Nicolas Canales, and Rodriguinho. I was responsible for selecting these players. I’m happy they were successful and played key roles in “Neftchi’s” historic qualification for the group stage of a European competition.
– Let’s talk about your new appointment. How did you become head of AFFA’s Scouting Department?
– Recently, AFFA’s General Secretary Jahangir Farajullayev invited me and offered the role. Naturally, I accepted. I'm grateful to Jahangir Farajullayev for trusting me with such a responsibility. I've contributed to clubs before, but this is about the national teams now, which carries even more responsibility. I will do my utmost to live up to the expectations of AFFA’s leadership.
– It seems AFFA trusts your ability to select players for the national teams. What was discussed during your meeting? What are their expectations?
– One of the main topics was identifying our compatriots playing abroad and discovering talented youngsters from the regions, then recommending them to our national teams. Everyone agrees that football development starts with youth. We will work to ensure that no talented child is overlooked. That’s going to be a key focus for us.
– What are the goals of the Scouting Department you now lead?
– The main goal is to identify overlooked talented players and recommend them to national team coaches. We’ll also advise them on training processes and how to behave off the pitch. Once we discover talented players, we must help them develop. Since we've been footballers ourselves, we know what’s right and wrong and must guide these kids. We want to play a role in their growth and help them reach the national team level.
– This summer, several Azerbaijani players received offers from abroad, and some chose to become legionnaires. How will this trend benefit our national team in the future?
– As you know, some of our players will compete abroad in the new season, with a few experiencing life as a legionnaire for the first time. We would like Azerbaijani players to get offers from the top five European leagues. The more of our players play in strong leagues, the more successful our national team will be. I hope the number of our players abroad will continue to grow. Everyone is working for the success of our national team. I’m proud to have worn the national jersey myself. Our players gaining international experience in stronger leagues will have a direct positive impact on the team.
– If players ask for help to go abroad, would you use your connections?
– Even after ending my playing career, I stayed in the game. I have contacts and trustworthy football officials from all over the world. I’m ready to help any club that reaches out. Through my connections, I’m also prepared to assist players in moving to stronger leagues. The key is for our players to demonstrate their talent on the field. We have quality footballers. If we can help them live their dreams abroad through our contacts, it would be a great honor.
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