Gabala FC head coach Kakhaber Tskhadadze spoke to Offsideplus.az:

- The season is about to end. Gabala secured the championship early and earned promotion to the Premier League. How would you characterize the season for your team?

• The championship went smoothly for us. We played excellently. We had prepared very well. As a club, Gabala achieved a great deal. By the start of preseason, we had built 95% of the squad. Our scouting was effective, and that’s a crucial factor. If everyone is together at the start of preseason, everything becomes easier. We changed about 90% of the squad – only one or two young players from last season remained. Financial conditions were totally different this year. Since no foreigners wanted to play in the First League, it was an extra challenge. But we found young players. Nobody had heard of them before. For instance, 22-year-old Nigerian Abdullahi Shuaybu had not played professionally for two years before joining Gabala. In short, we built the team from scratch and became champions. This was achieved thanks to the efforts of everyone at the club. Gabala led all teams in physical stats. None of our opponents could resist us for more than 60 minutes. We focused heavily on local players and Gabala academy graduates.

- What were the challenges you faced during the season?

• The only real problem was the poor quality of the pitches. We teach our players to play with passing. But how can you play passing football on bad pitches? On a bad pitch, you can only kick the ball forward aimlessly, just like 80% of the teams do in the First League. We can’t and won’t play that way. Gabala plays combination football, with short and medium passes.

- You mentioned the squad is full of young players. The Premier League is a completely different level. What will be your transfer strategy for the next season?

• I’ll be honest: the level of the Premier League has risen a lot this year. If we compare it to last season, the difference is huge. We must prepare accordingly. Many players from this squad will stay — we’ll preserve the core. But reinforcement is necessary; otherwise, we’ll face serious problems in the Premier League. There, teams don't just kick the ball aimlessly; they play quality football. Next season, there will be no limit on foreign players, so the overall quality will rise even more. I’m not saying Azerbaijani players are bad — it’s just that competition will become tougher.

- Will you reinforce mainly with foreign players?

• No. First, we’ll look at the local market. Right now, our team has a strong base of local players, and we want to strengthen it further. Everything must be within our financial capabilities. To be honest, Gabala’s financial situation is very different compared to 5-6 years ago. Forget about the resources we had back then. Now, we have to make transfers according to the budget provided by the management. That's why scouting and careful selection are essential.

- You’re known for being ambitious, always competing for medals. When you first worked in Azerbaijan with Inter Baku, you showed that. Can we say that this is the beginning of "Kakhaber Tskhadadze’s second era"? Will we see a team fighting for medals under your leadership in the Premier League?

• Gabala will aim to establish itself in the Premier League next season. We are working on a long-term project. We have agreed on this with club president Fariz Najafov. We will progress step by step. The most important thing is that we kept our promise by winning the First League. I am extremely happy about that. Now, our mission is to solidify our place in the Premier League and continue developing young players. Currently, we have 3-4 seventeen-year-olds training with us. Regardless, our immediate goal is clear. Of course, if the club’s management tomorrow decides to change the goals, that would be a different matter.

- What are your plans regarding Asif Mammadov, who has played for Gabala for 10 years and will turn 39 this year?

• We will resolve the situation with Asif. He has made great contributions to Gabala and Azerbaijani football. We definitely don’t intend to let him go. We want him to stay with us in some role, which we will discuss internally.

- You decided that the team will live in Gabala next season. Why?

• A club with such infrastructure should not be based in Baku. Gabala is Gabala’s team. Therefore, it must live there too. How can we tell the fans to come and support us if we ourselves are not in Gabala? If we didn’t have the facilities, maybe I’d think differently. But you know what’s happening in Baku?

- Yes, the infrastructure in Baku is not great.

• "Araz-Nakhchivan" was sometimes forced to train in a gym. Now there are reports that "Imishli" will also move to Baku... Because no top teams would agree to play on the field conditions they have in Imishli. It’s impossible to play football there. Football is about quick thinking and quick passing. How can you develop speed and ideas when a player struggles just to control the ball? Now both Imishli and Karvan will move to Baku. Tell me, where are there enough training fields in Baku? I am against Gabala players living in Baku. I’ve made my suggestion. The final decision will be made by Gabala’s management.

- Gabala used to live in Baku mainly because of foreign players. They found Gabala boring...

• A foreign player cannot dictate terms to the club. If a foreigner agrees to sign a contract, they must respect all the club’s decisions. Gabala offers beautiful nature, excellent pitches, and good hotels for the team. Everything is in place. We control players’ diets and their weight. When I first arrived at Gabala, I was almost shocked. I went to breakfast and saw lavash this big... (shows a big circle with his hands - editor). Each player was carrying around 3–3.5 kilograms of extra weight. Players must be kept under control. In Gabala, we can do that perfectly. If a player wants to "walk around," they should do it at home, not while playing football. Clubs pay players well for their work. Understand, a factory worker earns pennies after working from 9 AM to 6 PM. A footballer earns much more — they must justify their salary with their work. That’s my personal opinion. Ultimately, Gabala’s management will decide if the players stay in Gabala.