FC Gabala, demonstrating high value on youth development by founding the first football academy in Azerbaijan, keep progressing on this way with a new director of the Gabala Football Academy. It is Stanley Brard, who was head scout at Feyenoord before joining Gabala.

The Dutch specialist has signed a 3-year deal for the Azerbaijani football club to start with his new job from the next season. Brard has been introduced to the public in Gabala with event where vise president of FC Gabala Fariz Najafov gave in-depth details on the academy"s vision and new director. Then Stanley talked to mass media sharing his first impressions on the issue: 

- Thank you very much for good words. My activity as a head scout for Feyenoord will go on only by 1st July. I am glad to be here and going to work for Gabala for the next 3 years. There some reasons making me choose Gabala. One is that we got some talk in our earlier meeting with some senior officials of the club that prompted me to make this step. The second reason is all opportunity that I need to have and which is promised and intended to provide by the club administration. Here the condition is well to make it progressing for future. The third is my desire to work beyond my country. I am intending to reach to the achievements with the coaching staff. I visited Gabala during the U15 Cup last year which exited us much.

- Will you bring any coach assistant with you? 

- I need to have some analyzes before making decision on this. We aim developing not only players but coaches, as well.

 

- Is it expected any transfer from Gabala to European clubs? 

- We will be focused on developing players for the first team. We can provide their transformation after reaching to this target.

- You observed the real performance of Gabala youth last year. Now do you feel which kind of responsibility you are going to undertake?

- I watched their performance before and really got impressed. Age difference is no matter for us and we will pick up good players everywhere we can scout. And we will emphasize on age group of U14 and U15. 

- You used to worked for Japan three years just like you are going to do. Is this period of time you appointed for Gabala?

- It is what we made together with the administration. 

- You said you liked Gabala"s infrastructure? Which point did you like here that you can compare with those in Holland? 

- It is the grass in Gabala that is the best I saw ever. I have been told also about accommodations in here that makes Gabala seem better than Feyenoord. But the most I like is some people of the club and their organizational activities. It really makes me feel better. 

- How will you deal with education of the you? 

- A player being successful at his education will also be going well at football, and contrary. We will try and make it balanced. If we can success on this we will produce best players. But it is common if a good player goes behind his school program.

- Feyenoord are coming to Gabala to attend the U15 Cup to start in May. It will be the time when you will be a director of this club. Which side will you support?

- I will be on the Gabala side. The best thing is a good performance, and if Gabala loose performing well I will not regret. 

Personal details:

Stanley Brard was born on 24 October 1958 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Starting his football career in Netherlands with Feyenoord since 1978, Brard played for this club for 8 seasons before joining RKC and then Zvart Vit.  He started his coaching career in 1994 with FC Kapelle of Netherlands and kept going for Vitesse (Netherlands) during 1996-2000. At the end of this period, Brard was the head coach for Den Haag (Netherlands) before becoming technical director of the latter club. He operated the FC Nagoya Grampus Eight Football Academy of Japan as a director. The pro-class coach went back to Netherlands in 2005 to be appointed as a director of Feyenoord. He gained some many titles and awards with age groups of the Dutch club. The academy was awarded as the best football academy in 2010, 2011 and 2012, also earned the Rinus Michels award.