Qurbanov wanted to leave Qarabag, club president says

Qarabag head coach Gurban Gurbanov has said that he wanted to leave the club at certain points, the club's president, Tahir Gozel, said.

"Operative Information Center-OMM", citing the Aghdam club's press service, reports that Gozel made the remarks.

Referring to Gurbanov's leadership of the team since 2008, the club president said the management had not made emotional decisions even during periods of poor results.

“There were moments when Gurban Gurbanov himself said he was ready to take responsibility and could leave the club. We did not allow one result or a poor run to destroy relationships built over the years,” Tahir Gozel said.

He said mutual trust had developed between Qarabag's management and head coach, adding that this had played an important role in the club's long-term success.

Gozel also discussed the club's transfer policy. He said it was understandable that fans expected more high-profile players after Qarabag's successes in Europe. However, he stressed that the main criteria for the club were not a player's name, but their suitability for the team's playing system and their potential for development.

The club president highlighted Gurbanov's role in selecting players. According to him, during transfers the head coach considers not only a player's statistics, but also their character, suitability for the team and development potential.

Gozel cited Camilo Duran, who joined Qarabag from Portugal's lower divisions, as an example. He said the player developed at the Aghdam club before transferring to Celtic.

The club president also said Qarabag had signed 12 new players this season and that they needed time to adapt to the team.

Tahir Gozel also noted that the number of players transferred from Qarabag to well-known clubs in Europe and around the world had increased in recent years. He cited Juninho as an example, saying the player developed after moving from Chaves to Qarabag before transferring to Brazil's Flamengo.

According to him, funds generated from such transfers can be directed to the first team, the academy, infrastructure and the scouting system.