"Being a coach is not an easy job. If I don't show love and respect for my profession today, I can never be a successful coach." Sport24.az reports that these words were said by Qurban Gurbanov, the head coach of "Qarabag," during his speech at the first panel session of the Coaches Forum organized for the first time in Azerbaijan, entitled "The Role of the Head Coach: Leader, Educator, or Manager."
The expert emphasized that a coach must be both a leader and a manager at the same time:
"In my opinion, a coach should always be a leader. Especially in football, this quality is even more important. Responsibility lies with us, and the final decision always belongs to the head coach. There is such a principle in football: if the team wins, the players win; if they lose, the head coach loses. I have always considered this approach to be correct. The coach should be next to the athletes because we demand, and they execute. Football players should always be given maximum support. I believe that even if I am over 60 years old, I must continue to develop myself. The coach must both monitor the athletes and train physically."
Gurbanov also touched upon the current problems in football:
"We recently traveled to Antalya, Turkey, and became familiar with the conditions there. The most important factor in football is passing. If training sessions are held on a low-quality field and each player is required to make approximately 50 passes, it becomes very difficult. Such conditions negatively affect the athlete's performance and weaken their motivation. In this regard, we lag behind European football. I always express my views on this issue openly. An athlete cannot develop without proper conditions."
He also noted that there are enough talented young people in Azerbaijan:
"I hope that the highest level of specialists will be trained in our country not only in sports but in all fields."