Interview with Zaur Hashimov, coordinator of "Zira" Football Academy – Offsideplus.az

– The 2024/25 season is coming to an end. How would you evaluate this season for "Zira" Football Academy?

– This season, we are witnessing the results of the work we’ve carried out over the last three years. To speak in terms of concrete achievements, our U15 team played in the playoffs, the U16 team reached the semifinals. Additionally, the U17 team is still in the race for the championship title. In the Youth League, our U19s have a chance to win bronze medals. So, all four of our teams competed for top positions this year. However, results are not our top priority. We don’t set specific goals regarding outcomes for our players or coaches. As pleasing as good results are, the most important thing in our work is the development of the children. One of the most satisfying aspects of this season is that players from all age categories received national team call-ups. In other words, our players are now representing “Zira” in the U16, U17, U18, and U19 national teams. This is one of our greatest achievements in the 2024/25 season.

– Last year, were there fewer “Zira” players in the national teams?

– We only had representation in the U17 national team. This year, two of our players were even called up to the U16 squad and participated in friendly matches against Belarus last week. We now regularly have four players in the U17 squad, and two in the U19 team. Do you know why this is gratifying? Because when we brought in these players, they were only 13 or 14 years old. Those called up to the national teams are purely homegrown talents of the “Zira” Football Academy. We didn’t bring them in from elsewhere – we raised them ourselves.

– You’ve spoken mostly about the academy’s results among youth aged 15 to 19. What about the younger age groups?

– For younger players, no goals are set regarding results. Kids aged 8 to 13 approach football as a fun activity. We also embrace this reality. Experience shows that more focus should be given to players aged 13 and up. For example, we had a goalkeeper in our academy who was considered a candidate for the national team. He was 14 years old, had excellent indicators, and showed great promise. But unexpectedly, he quit football and chose boxing instead. Similarly, a few of our 13-year-olds changed their minds and started pursuing entirely different fields. Nevertheless, we continue to oversee the training and development of 8–13-year-olds. We have good coaches and are constantly scouting talent. Our system is structured so that from the U14 level onwards, our coaches work more seriously with the players and focus more deeply on their development.

– It’s promising to see young players from "Zira" catching attention in the final rounds of the Misli Premier League.

– One of our main goals is to prepare players for the first team. In the match against “Sabail,” academy graduate Ramiz Muradov made his debut for “Zira” this season. Five academy players were listed in the match protocol. Even 17-year-old Ahliman Suleymanzade is now training with the first team. God willing, in the near future, we’ll see even more academy graduates representing “Zira” in the Premier League.

– Do you believe the club leadership’s goals for this season have been achieved?

– All of us aim to train good players for both “Zira” and the national teams. I’d like to note that our work isn’t limited to just developing footballers. We also strive to shape the children as individuals. They could become future coaches, managers, or football administrators. Over the past 2–3 years, “Zira”’s management has greatly improved the academy's conditions. For example, while we previously had 12–13 coaches, that number has now reached 34. In addition to head coaches, we now have assistant coaches for various age groups. We have four goalkeeping coaches and four medical staff members working with the academy teams. All this is the result of systematic work.

– Surely there are challenges in the process. What is the biggest issue facing "Zira" Football Academy today?

– Our only major challenge is that all our players don’t train at the same location. The children train on rented fields in various parts of Baku. This is the only aspect that currently dissatisfies me. The club’s management is working on resolving this issue.

– When will player selections for the academy take place?

– We hold tryouts both in winter and summer. Our U15 team has completed its season, so selections are ongoing for that age group. So far, 15–16 players have attended the trials. We also have partnerships with several clubs from which we bring in promising players. Tryouts for other age groups are also planned for the near future.