"I don't consider the results before the winter break unsuccessful. We planned to be in the top five at least." These words were said by Zaqatala's head coach Rustam Mammadov in an interview with Sport24.az.
According to the experienced specialist, after the winter break, due to financial difficulties, the players could not tune in to the games as desired:
"However, after the winter break, certain financial problems arose. The departure of sponsors seriously affected the team, and difficulties began after that. There were problems with the players tuning in to the game. Although the situation partially improved after a while, it was already difficult to restore the team's motivation. Also, it was not entirely clear what place we were fighting for. Our rivals were far ahead of us. On the other hand, the danger of falling to the last place did not seem real either. For this reason, the players did not have additional motivation."
Mammadov also emphasized that his contract has expired and there are some offers:
"My contract with the club has expired. Although there are some offers, I have not negotiated with any team yet. Currently, all clubs are waiting for the budget to be allocated for the new season. After that, it will be possible to negotiate with some team. If I stay in Zaqatala, the issue of building a more ambitious team next season does not depend on me alone. The coach may want to, but if there is no budget, nothing can be done. If you can make the transfers you want, you can form an ambitious team. This depends not only on the coach, but mainly on the club's capabilities."
It should be noted that Zaqatala finished the season in the First League in 7th place with 28 points.