Marked for Suhrob Eshboyev
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market11 Oct 2027
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad11 Oct 2027
“I have given this everything, but my family is not here and neither am I, not really.” A footballer can be coached out of bad form. Nobody has ever been coached out of this, and Qizilqum know it.
Squad11 Oct 2027
A row about effort at Qizilqum
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Nikola Kumburović was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
The dugout11 Oct 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Shahzod Rahmatullayev, and the manager let it.
Squad11 Oct 2027
“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Alisher Shukurov and Qizilqum agree another 3 years.
Looking ahead11 Oct 2027
Every squad has one of these fixtures for somebody every season. This one is Samandar Shukurullayev’s: the club that knew him first, the supporters who will decide in the first minute whether to applaud, and Qizilqum needing him to play as if none of it matters.
Squad11 Oct 2027
A year in and the city has not opened up, the language has not come, and lunch is eaten alone more often than anybody at Qizilqum would admit. It shows on Saturdays.
The dugout11 Oct 2027
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Diyor Rahmatullayev trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
Market11 Oct 2027
Every press conference now starts and ends the same way: with G'iyosjon Rizaqulov’s future. The manager has run out of new ways to say nothing.
Back issues
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Market2 Aug 2027
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Transfer targets2 Aug 2027
Terms were offered and declined. Whether it was the wages, the role or the town, nobody at Pakhtakor is saying, and nobody at Qizilqum is enjoying the guessing.
The dugout2 Aug 2027
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Qizilqum have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Squad2 Aug 2027
32 appearances across 9 seasons in one shirt. Careers like that are not built on purpose any more, and Qizilqum know exactly what they have.
Market2 Aug 2027
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Qizilqum they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Transfer targets2 Aug 2027
The offer went to Nasaf this week and it is theirs to answer. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loud the door closes.
Transfer targets2 Aug 2027
A medical, a signature, a shirt held up in front of a sponsor’s board. Qizilqum have done the hard part with Navbahor, and the part that remains is the part supporters actually see.
Squad2 Aug 2027
“The easiest signature of my career.” Farhod Rahmatov and Qizilqum agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Squad2 Aug 2027
Words exchanged at Qizilqum
Nikola Kumburović and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Market19 Jul 2027
The clubs have settled the fee and he has settled his wages. What remains is a medical and a photograph, and around Qizilqum people have started saying his name in the past tense.
Match17 Jul 2027
5 matches without a win for Qizilqum
The run now stands at 5, and the questions being asked around Qizilqum are no longer polite ones.
Market19 Jul 2027
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Ilhomjon Kenjayev will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Qizilqum the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Squad19 Jul 2027
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Qizilqum this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Transfer targets19 Jul 2027
Not now, not at any price the club was prepared to say out loud. Nasaf have kept their man, and Qizilqum go back to a list with one name crossed off it.
Match17 Jul 2027
Beaten 0‑2, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
Player ratings19 Jul 2027
Successful dribbles: 18. There was always a defender in front of him and there was never a defender in front of him for long.
Squad19 Jul 2027
Words at Qizilqum training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Oleksiy Shchebetun is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout19 Jul 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
From our football correspondent
Steady
The dugout29 Mar 2027
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Qizilqum may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Market29 Mar 2027
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Qizilqum is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Squad29 Mar 2027
A falling-out at Qizilqum
Shahzod Turopov and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
The dugout29 Mar 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Shahzod Rahmatullayev, and the manager let it.
Looking ahead29 Mar 2027
Neftchi next, and one man in the Qizilqum dressing room knows their training ground better than his own. The reception will tell him what they thought of him.
Market29 Mar 2027
It has been denied twice and printed three times, which is the usual arithmetic. Until Oleksiy Shchebetun signs something — a contract at Qizilqum or anywhere else — this column belongs to him.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Squad1 Mar 2027
A bone, which is the one injury with a calendar attached. Qizilqum will name a return date and, unusually for this business, will probably be right about it.
Market1 Mar 2027
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Qizilqum, and it is not being withdrawn.
Market1 Mar 2027
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Ilhomjon Kenjayev will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Qizilqum the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Squad1 Mar 2027
“I have tried. I have really tried, and every day I wake up in the wrong place.” Nobody at Qizilqum can coach that out of a man, and nobody there is pretending to.
Squad1 Mar 2027
Jaba Jighauri wants one last season at home
Every long career reaches the week the last one is thought about. He would like it to be where he started, and Qizilqum know now that the thought has arrived.
Squad1 Mar 2027
Words exchanged at Qizilqum
Asror G'ofurov and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
The dugout1 Mar 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Shahzod Turopov, and the manager let it.
Looking ahead1 Mar 2027
He used to wear the other shirt. On Saturday he plays against Metallurg in this one, and whatever he says this week about it being just another game will be untrue.
The dugout1 Mar 2027
A conversation in the manager’s office, and a commitment that came out of it. Promises like that are cheap to make and expensive to break, and Suhrob Eshboyev has written the date down.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Squad22 Feb 2027
A bone, which is the one injury with a calendar attached. Qizilqum will name a return date and, unusually for this business, will probably be right about it.
Match22 Feb 2027
Qizilqum up to position 2
20 points on the board and a place in the leading group. Nobody at the ground is saying the word out loud yet.
Squad22 Feb 2027
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Qizilqum this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad22 Feb 2027
A row about effort at Qizilqum
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Muhammadaziz Ibrohimov was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
The dugout22 Feb 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to G'iyosjon Rizaqulov, and the manager let it.
Squad22 Feb 2027
“I have done everything asked of me in training and it has not changed a thing on a Saturday.” The most familiar complaint in football, and one Qizilqum will have to answer with minutes or with a transfer.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Squad15 Feb 2027
Bones knit. That is the one merciful thing about this injury and the reason Qizilqum will talk about it more openly than they would about a knee. He will be back, and roughly when they say.
Market15 Feb 2027
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Qizilqum they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Squad15 Feb 2027
Nikola Kumburović was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad15 Feb 2027
“I respect the manager and I am not going to sit here and pretend I am happy.” It is the most common sentence in football and it has never once been the end of a story.
The dugout15 Feb 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Farrux Jo'rayev, and the manager let it.
Market15 Feb 2027
“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.
Squad15 Feb 2027
A year in and the language has not come, the city has not opened up, and he eats alone more often than anybody at Qizilqum would like to admit. It is showing on Saturdays.
Market15 Feb 2027
The name of Luka Ratković keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Qizilqum say nothing, which says plenty.
The dugout15 Feb 2027
Nothing in writing and nothing in public: a word about playing time, given face to face at Qizilqum. The team sheets over the next month will show whether it was worth having.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Match30 Nov 2026
Qizilqum refuse to drop out of the race
Position 2, 20 points, and the result everyone checks first is now theirs. The word is still not being said around the ground, which is how you know everyone is thinking it.
The dugout30 Nov 2026
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Qizilqum may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Squad30 Nov 2026
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Qizilqum this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad30 Nov 2026
“Some mornings you wake up and you are still a long way from everything you know.” It is not the football and it never was; Qizilqum are dealing with a man who wants a different country.
Squad30 Nov 2026
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Boardroom30 Nov 2026
106% of the income goes out in wages at Qizilqum
Every club in football pays most of what it earns to its players. Paying nearly all of it is a different arrangement, and it has ended the same way every time somebody has tried it.
The dugout30 Nov 2026
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Bobomurod Bozorov, and the manager let it.
Market30 Nov 2026
The name of Oleksiy Shchebetun keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Qizilqum say nothing, which says plenty.
Squad30 Nov 2026
“I have done everything asked of me in training and it has not changed a thing on a Saturday.” The most familiar complaint in football, and one Qizilqum will have to answer with minutes or with a transfer.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Squad5 Oct 2026
A fracture rules Jaba Jighauri out for 57 days
Bones knit. That is the one merciful thing about this injury and the reason Qizilqum will talk about it more openly than they would about a knee. He will be back, and roughly when they say.
Match5 Oct 2026
Qizilqum are in among the leaders
Position 2 and 20 points on the board. Nobody at the ground will say the word out loud yet, and everybody at the ground is thinking it.
Player ratings5 Oct 2026
Successful dribbles: 23. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Squad5 Oct 2026
“Some mornings you wake up and you are still a long way from everything you know.” It is not the football and it never was; Qizilqum are dealing with a man who wants a different country.
Squad5 Oct 2026
A row about effort at Qizilqum
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Nikola Kumburović was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Squad5 Oct 2026
Asror G'ofurov was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Boardroom5 Oct 2026
144% of the income goes out in wages at Qizilqum
Every club in football pays most of what it earns to its players. Paying nearly all of it is a different arrangement, and it has ended the same way every time somebody has tried it.
Match3 Oct 2026
A 1‑0 win over Shortan, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
Player ratings5 Oct 2026
A performance of 8.19 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad7 Sep 2026
85 days out for Jaba Jighauri after a fracture
A bone, which is the one injury with a calendar attached. Qizilqum will name a return date and, unusually for this business, will probably be right about it.
Boardroom7 Sep 2026
Qizilqum close the window on a squad of their own making
12 in and 0 out, and no more changes for months. The manager has what he has, the supporters have their opinion of it, and the table will have the last word.
Market7 Sep 2026
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Qizilqum, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad7 Sep 2026
A row about effort at Qizilqum
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Nikola Kumburović was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Transfer targets7 Sep 2026
Not now, not at any price the club was prepared to say out loud. Radnik Surdulica have kept their man, and Qizilqum go back to a list with one name crossed off it.
Transfer targets7 Sep 2026
Qizilqum ran out of time with Navbahor. The paperwork was open when the deadline passed, and a transfer that was almost done is now a transfer that never happened.
Squad7 Sep 2026
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Qizilqum this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad7 Sep 2026
Jaba Jighauri named in the team of the month
A month is long enough that nobody gets in by accident. Jaba Jighauri is in the division's best eleven for it, which is a quieter compliment than an award and a more reliable one.
The dugout7 Sep 2026
The manager makes an example of Suhrob Eshboyev
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.