This year, the Dynamo children's football school has been opened in Baku and has been operating for almost half a year. We discussed how it is developing and what goals it has in front of it with the project manager Chingiz Gumbatov.
— Tell us, how did the idea to open a Dynamo school in Baku come about?
— Due to a combination of love for football, respect for the Dynamo brand and a keen understanding that Azerbaijan lacks a systematic approach to children's football. I saw that we have a lot of talented children, but often lack discipline, structure, professional environment. That is why I decided to bring the legendary Dynamo brand to Baku — not just as a name, but as a philosophy. This is a partnership with the Lev Yashin Dynamo Academy in Moscow, these are methods, standards and traditions — all that helps to shape not only football players, but also strong personalities.
— What are the features of children's football in Azerbaijan?
— We have great potential in our country: children love football, parents are interested, fields appear. But a systematic approach is not enough — in many places training is reduced to physical exercises for 20-30 minutes, and the rest of the time the children play football, without strategy. Not everywhere there is a culture of development, understanding of child psychology, attention to individual trajectories of children's development. We are trying to change this — we are introducing not only the Dynamo training methodology, but also our own quality standards, in which the development of the child comes first, and not the result on the scoreboard.
— Tell us about what your school is like today and what has happened since your opening?
— Today Dynamo in Baku is the official school of the Dynamo Moscow club, with licensed coaches, including the Lev Yashin goalkeeper school. We already have more than 35 students, three coaches (including a goalkeeper coach) and an administrator, modern equipment, and training sessions are held at the Olympic Stadium. We have been actively growing over the past months — not only in the number of pupils, but also in the quality of training. We have opened a separate group for children with musculoskeletal disorders, held a friendly match with Trabzonspor Baku, and are actively developing social media. And this is just the beginning.
— How actively do you participate in the football life of the country?
— We are building relations with Russian and Azerbaijani football structures. We participate in tournaments, organize matches and football holidays for children. We are constantly in dialogue with the public, we try to be not just a school, but a real center of football in Baku. We are also actively planning interaction with other schools, participation in summer camps and international projects.
— What are the features of your approach to the development of children and the organization of the learning process as a whole?
— Our approach is based on balance: discipline, yes, but through trust. The Dynamo technique assumes the systemic development of the child — physical, mental, tactical. We don't just train — we try to educate: character through the game, confidence through training, shoulder feeling through the team. We develop not only the legs, but also the head. A separate emphasis is an individual approach: someone is already ready for the game, someone is just getting used to it, and everyone is developing taking into account individual characteristics and skills along their own trajectory.
— How does the Dynamo brand work in Baku?
— The strength of the brand is felt from the first day, despite the strong competition from Turkish football club franchises. Parents see trust, children see motivation. The uniform with a "D" on the chest is not just a symbol, it is a long tradition and connection with a large football community. The brand works for us, but we also work for the brand no less: we keep standards, participate in the development of the Dynamo school in Baku as a franchise, and are constantly in touch with the central Academy of the club. We are distinguished by our official status and serious approach, and this is felt at all levels — from training to the appearance of the team. It should be noted separately that VTB Azerbaijan Bank supports us at the local level, partnership with which is a sign of trust and support for children's sports at a high level.
— What does it mean for you to be a part of the Dynamo brand — personally and professionally?
— For me it is a great honor and, at the same time, a great responsibility. My children and I grew up on stories about Dynamo, about Lev Yashin. This is not just a club — it is a school of courage and sports culture. This is the realization of a dream and a mission. I feel that we are doing something important and big: connecting generations, countries, values. And we are building not only a school, but also a bridge of friendship and cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan through sports.
— What are your immediate goals for the development of the school?
— We plan to reach 100-200 students within a year. To develop the infrastructure, expand the coaching staff, bring the team to major tournaments. I would like to launch permanent programs for children with disabilities, continue working with international partners and attract strong sponsors. We are focused on sustainability, growth and victories — not only in matches, but also in the lives of our guys.
