Interview with “Kapaz” veteran footballer Vidadi Rzayev for Sportnet.az.
– How would you assess “Kapaz’s” start to the Azerbaijan Premier League with two consecutive defeats?
– Of course, two straight losses are not results worthy of “Kapaz.” As a “Kapaz” supporter and a veteran player who started football here back in the 10th grade, it’s not at all pleasing to see the historic team of the western region in this state. I was very disappointed, especially by the loss to “Karvan-Yevlakh.” “Karvan-Yevlakh” is also a newly assembled team. But “Kapaz” should not be in such a condition.
– Why do you think so?
– “Kapaz” had foreign players who should have stayed and continued, but they let them all go and brought in new ones. If they release 5–10 players and bring in the same number, that means there is manipulation, financial misuse. Look at our other clubs – such processes are not happening there. It’s normal to change 3–5 players, but if you let everyone go and rush to bring in 10–12 new ones, I don’t blame the head coach or players. The fault lies with those making those decisions. Adil Shukurov is my colleague, I wish him success. But in his interview, he says they lack right and left midfielders and a forward. They’ve been working together for two months and still haven’t finalized transfers.
– What role does the management play?
– I’m tired of repeating this: names have changed but nothing else. A sponsor supposedly came, made some adjustments, but everything is the same. Same old bathhouse, same old basin. Things continue the same way. “Kapaz” should not be like this. The players are not at fault. The problem is with those bringing them in. It’s like the famous line from the movie “If not this one, then that one” – when they recruit players, do they even check who they are? Players should be chosen carefully.
– Next match is against “Zira”...
– I wish them luck, but “Kapaz” is not in good shape. “Zira” also needs points, but “Kapaz” should not be playing like this.
– What do you expect from this newly assembled team?
– It seems difficult for the coaching staff to form a good collective out of these players. I can’t say for sure; they have just been assembled and started playing together. Nothing promising so far. If they can’t achieve success with these players, the coaching staff will bear responsibility. Adil Shukurov says the coaches themselves selected the players. If that’s the case, poor results will be on them. But the management is also not in the right place.
– What is the solution in your opinion?
– “Kapaz” needs radical changes. Proper people, proper management, proper sponsors must come. Everyone says there’s a sponsor, but there’s none. It’s as if they crossed the Pacific to get here. This is not how “Kapaz” should be run! They’ve already signed 12 foreign players. If they sign a 13th, they must pay AFFA 100,000 manats. They say, “There’s no money,” yet the situation is critical. This has been ongoing since Ilgar Nadir’s time. A coach keeps the team in the Premier League, yet they fire him and bring in another. The management is not functioning properly. You can’t allow a historic, deeply rooted club like “Kapaz” to end up like this.
– The Premier League has just started, only two rounds have been played. Shouldn’t we wait a bit?
– But there’s no appealing football either. Okay, we’ll wait. I didn’t play much for “Kapaz” myself; most of my career was at “Neftchi.” But “Kapaz” is dear to me because it’s where I started. Whoever remains from the old management must leave; the place needs to be cleaned up. The current management is not made up of football people. They all need to leave “Kapaz” without exception. There’s no other way. I still wish the team success in the upcoming matches.
– Why do you think the fans demand more?
– If I worked there and something was written about me, they’d have every right. “Kapaz” should be a strong, competitive team. It’s laughable that they are fighting just to stay in the Premier League. In the past, “Neftchi” vs. “Kapaz” was a derby. Now coaches are just trying to keep the team from relegation, and even when they succeed, they get dismissed. “Kapaz” now seems like an ownerless club.
– Adil Shukurov said that conditions were created for players to stay at the base and eat together. Wasn’t this the case before?
– Look at where we are – they are giving interviews saying the team eats together now. This is happening just now! It’s ridiculous. Financial conditions are the same in “Shamakhi,” “Karvan-Yevlakh,” and “Imishli,” yet there’s no visible sponsor here. When Ehtiram Guliyev took over “Turan Tovuz,” it became clear how much AFFA provides and how much comes from his own pocket. At “Kapaz,” nobody knows what’s going on. Other clubs fight and lose, but they fight. “Kapaz” is just in this mess.
– When you say the management must change, who do you mean?
– Specifically, Ilgar Nadir must go. We’ve said everything about him already. Everyone talks about the manipulations and money misuse. In one interview, I said they’re running “Kapaz” like a market. It’s still the same. We veterans and fans are not enemies of the club. We just want to see a normal, fighting, winning team. Losing is okay, but not in such a toothless way! Not like losing to “Sumgayit” and “Karvan-Yevlakh.” I don’t know what the new management is doing, but the old management is still there. If everyone knew their place, something might happen.
– What’s behind your claim that the club is run “like a market”?
– All the dealings and financial misuse at “Kapaz” are around transfers. That’s why Tarlan Ahmadov and Azar Bagirov suffered the same fate. The management doesn’t want the head coach to control transfers. So many comings and goings are all about financial fraud. What business did weightlifter Jabir Ibrahimov have in football? Does he even understand the sport? Who’s running this carousel? They’ve turned Ganja football into a toy. Why are they turning a blind eye? Ilgar Nadir says no one knows football better than him. He’s right, he knows all the ways to embezzle. They had debts everywhere, of the nearly 400,000 manats UEFA sent, they used some for the first team’s debts and squandered the rest.
– It was reported that Erkin Ibrahimov left the club and then returned. What really happened?
– He said he left and made it official. Three days later, he was back. I don’t know why he left and returned, but I believe he is directly responsible for transfers. The responsibility lies with him. When the foreign player limit was lifted, I said that the ones who would benefit most were the agents. There should be no inflated numbers in football. Players should be paid their real value. You can’t list 10,000 and pocket 5,000. They care more about money than football. I’ve said a lot to Erkin in meetings, and he’s confirmed it. Because I spoke the truth, they keep their distance. Until “Kapaz” earns its rightful place in Azerbaijani football, there will be no progress.
– When will the rumors around “Kapaz” finally stop?
– “Kapaz” is not a place for gossip, it’s a historic team of the western region. That’s why everyone expects victories and success. Even those who supported the club since the Soviet era feel the same. Since they can’t see success, they oppose what’s happening. Many players from the previous squad could have been kept, but they weren’t. They tried to create a new team, but so far it hasn’t worked and they can’t succeed. Hopefully, they will succeed, but only on one condition: the management must change and everyone from the old guard must go.
Idman.biz
