Sherzod A’zamov: "If Uzbek clubs bring players like Doriyev, fans will return to the stadium"

In the latest episode of the "90minutuz" podcast, former football player Sherzod A’zamov, who has a significant place in Uzbek football, shared his thoughts on "Sogdiana" club's striker Lyupcho Doriyev and the foreign player selection policy of Uzbekistan teams.

A’zamov recalled his conversation with "Pakhtakor" striker Dragan Cheran, through which he revealed several interesting details:

“When I spoke with Cheran, he told me that the 'Sogdiana' team had signed contracts with very high-level foreign players. At that time, these players had not yet arrived in Uzbekistan. Dragan specifically noted that they were high-quality and good players, but they were also very expensive,” said the former footballer.

A’zamov emphasized that the salary of Macedonian striker Lyupcho Doriyev at "Sogdiana" constituted a large amount for Uzbek football:

“It turns out that when Doriyev signed a contract with 'Sogdiana', he was receiving a salary of 30 thousand dollars per month. This is a very large sum. At that time, 'Sogdiana' also wanted to see Dragan Cheran in their squad and offered him a similar amount,” explained Sherzod A’zamov.

Additionally, the former footballer expressed dissatisfaction with some clubs in Uzbek football spending excessive funds on weak foreign players while praising the legionnaires chosen by the Jizzakh team:

“If we consider 'Sogdiana' to be one level above an average club, they did an excellent job in selecting foreign players. Such legionnaires are indeed worth it. Wouldn't it be better for Uzbek clubs to offer one high-level player like Doriyev instead of bringing in five average-level legionnaires? If that happens, fans will definitely return to the stadium,” he emphasized.

A’zamov also mentioned the example of the "Nasaf" club and the performance of Artur Gevorkyan:

“For instance, at one time, Artur Gevorkyan could not find his place in the 'Shortan' and 'Pakhtakor' teams. However, after he came to 'Nasaf', hundreds, even thousands of fans began to come to the stadium in Karshi just to watch his game. This is a bright example showing the importance of quality legionnaires,” said Sherzod A’zamov.

Indeed, the arrival of high-level legionnaires will increase interest in Uzbek football and bring fans back to the stadiums. This could be the beginning of positive changes for football in the country