Sport24.az
RASHAD
Two of the clubs competing in the Premier League are currently without a head coach. We are talking about "Sumgayit" and "Sabah". While the "Chemists" parted ways with Vagif Javadov before the end of the season, Vasili Berezutski's farewell to the "owls" was somewhat unexpected. Since the Russian specialist won the first title in the history of the capital's representative, many thought that he would stay "behind the success" of "Sabah" and continue his work. However, the assumptions did not come true. The coach of the team that won the Azerbaijan Cup and qualified for the Europa League deemed it necessary to leave his post.
The prolongation of "Sumgayit"'s search for a new head coach can be understood somewhere. The representative of the "City of Youth" has no place to rush. There are almost two months left before the start of the new season in the Premier League. However, "Sabah"'s delay in this matter may eventually show its bitter consequences. The "Owls" will play their first game in the Europa League next month. It is unknown where the "headless horseman" will go, what he will do and how. A team without a head coach is like a ship without sails. It is impossible to say in advance where the waves will take that ship. For this reason, the "owls" should make a decision regarding the new coach as soon as possible.
The capital's representative already knows its opponent in the continental tournament. "Sabah" will face Slovenian representative "Sele" in the first qualifying round. With the team that played in the 1/4 finals of the UEFA Conference League last season. This should already be a serious signal for the management of "Owls".
"Sele" has twice (2019/2020, 2023/2024) won the title of national champion (since 1991). Also, he won the Slovenian Cup in the 2004/2005 and 2024/2025 seasons.
"Sele", headed by former Spanish national football player Albert Riera, who once wore the uniforms of famous clubs such as "Liverpool" and "Galatasaray", reached the 1/4 finals of the Conference League in the season that ended as mentioned above. The Slovenian representative stopped the fight in this stage by losing to Italian "Fiorentina" according to the results of two matches (1:2, 2:2). "Sele"'s reaching this stage in European Cups has gone down in history as the biggest achievement ever achieved among Slovenian teams.
Therefore, "Sabah" management should take "Sele" seriously and determine as soon as possible who will lead the team against the Slovenian club. As they say, "today is early, tomorrow is late"...
