Interview with Stanislav Cherchesov, former head coach of the Russian national team and Hungary’s Ferencvaros, and currently in charge of Akhmat for AZERTAC.
In 2022, when you were head coach of Ferencvaros, you faced Qarabag in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. How do you remember those matches?
Those matches are very pleasant memories for me because I had the chance to visit Baku after a long time. It was a nice coincidence that the first leg of the tie was held there. We flew to Baku with great pleasure and I had positive emotional experiences. At the same time, we had analyzed Qarabag well. We were facing a club that had already played in the Champions League group stage and won consecutive domestic championships. We knew the opponent was strong and the game would be tough, and the results reflected that. I only have good memories of those two games.
Today, the two teams will meet again, but this time in the Champions League play-off round. How do you assess their chances?
In games at this level, chances are always equal. Back then, we had some advantage against Qarabag because the first leg in Baku ended 1:1. But the return leg started poorly for us. Falling behind 0:1 against an experienced team like Qarabag gave them more opportunity for counterattacks, which was a big advantage for them. Still, it is difficult to designate a clear favorite at this stage. Qarabag’s squad includes domestic champions and players with European competition experience. Even during our matches, I considered the chances equal.
What are the differences between Ferencvaros during your tenure and the current team?
Honestly, I have only watched one Ferencvaros match since I left. If I’m not mistaken, they lost 0:1 away to the Puskas Academy last year. Naturally, I can see differences in both the system and player selection, and changes in how the game is structured. That year, they won the championship only in the last round. Either the team was being rebuilt, or there were other reasons.
Qarabag has been performing successfully in European competitions for many years. What is the secret to this?
The main reason for Qarabag’s consistent success in Europe is stability. The club’s financial stability is strong. Of course, the long-serving coach, Gurban Gurbanov, also plays an undeniable role. The squad doesn’t change much. Every year, the coach isn’t replaced, and players aren’t recruited randomly. That’s why Qarabag maintains stability.
What are your thoughts on Gurban Gurbanov?
Every year he brings titles to Qarabag, and his team performs successfully in both the Europa League and Champions League. They even reached the Champions League group stage in 2017. I have personally seen Qarabag’s strength and Gurbanov’s ability to build a team, so I can only speak highly of him.
A few years ago, there were reports that you might be appointed head coach of the Azerbaijan national team. Did you actually receive an official offer from AFFA, or was it just a rumor?
Yes, my name was sometimes mentioned in connection with the Azerbaijan national team. But no one contacted me directly or made any official offer. Sometimes journalists or agents would call, show interest, and ask questions. For me, an invitation means a specific club, president, or federation secretary calling and saying we can discuss this. AFFA did not make such an offer.
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