Idman.biz
Qarabağ's magnificent victory in the Champions League, against the backdrop of the national team's utopian games, made us think once again about the future of local football. Someone might say: "What about the game with Ukraine?" It was more of a small revenge by the players on Portuguese head coach Fernando Santos. Because in the 11 games we played under his leadership, our team was repeatedly targeted by harsh public criticism.
In fact, the question is the same: what will be the future of Azerbaijani football if its present is almost non-existent? Today is not about the high-profile but fleeting victories of individual clubs or the appointment of a local expert to the national team. The most important thing is broader, more serious issues.
When we say today, we primarily mean the lack of football pitches in our cities, especially in Baku. Even in the most densely populated neighborhoods, there is no playground left for children. With the exception of a few small pitches built in some yards with the support of AFFA and IDEA, which do not change the overall picture. However, 40 years ago Baku was rich in stadiums and playgrounds in schoolyards. Now, in their place, there are high-rise buildings, markets and "Wedding Palaces". If nothing has been built, those places have simply been turned into parking lots.
For example, in Yeni Ahmadli settlement, where I spent my childhood, there was a stadium next to every school. Where are they now? It disappeared along with the era when sports was a favorite subject in schools. At that time, there was at least the opportunity to play volleyball and basketball outdoors, not to mention football. Even more deplorable is the fact that even the building of the ministry that should fight against illegal buildings was built on the site of a former school stadium.
In this case, how can we talk about the future of football? Children cannot find a place to play their favorite game, and adults are forced to pay ever-increasing prices to play in mini-stadiums. A pitch that was rented for 20 manats an hour a few years ago now costs even 50 manats to play. What kind of development are we talking about?
Amateurs aside, even professional football players suffer. The quality of the pitches for Premier League games has been discussed for years. Representatives of foreign clubs that we face in European competitions have also spoken about this many times. But nothing changes. With the exception of a few stadiums in Baku and arenas in Sumgayit and Gabala, there is no pitch in the country that meets European standards.
In such a situation, we can only rejoice in individual successes – both at the club and national level. For sustainable development, first of all, it is necessary to create conditions for children to play football. Otherwise, all we will have left are wedding palaces and supermarkets.
Vugar Vugarli
Idman.biz
