Footballer Behruz Karimov's agent talks about his choice of Lugano, the interest of clubs, and the next step in his career.

Footballer Behruz Karimov's agent discussed his reasons for choosing Lugano, interest from other clubs, and his future career plans.

This week, 19-year-old defender Behruz Karimov, who played for FC Surkhan and the Uzbekistan national team, joined Swiss club Lugano, signing a contract until 2031. According to Championat Asia, the transfer fee was €250,000, with Surkhan receiving 10% of any subsequent sale.

Gairat Khasbiullin, founder of the Football Group football agency and Karimov's agent, explained in an exclusive interview with Gazeta why Behruz chose Lugano despite offers from City Football Group and Manchester City. He also discussed the player's role in his new team, his career prospects, and the reasons why Uzbek footballers are currently difficult to sell to Europe for large sums.

The young player's high-level performance attracted the attention of many clubs, who had been monitoring him since the winter. The agency had been actively working on this long before the World Cup.

In April, Khasbiullin and a colleague toured Europe, visiting clubs and meeting with partners and leading European agents. Karimov was on their list of potential players for European clubs to monitor during the World Cup.

After the World Cup, interest in Bekhrouz increased significantly. After the match against Colombia, the agent received calls from dozens of clubs within six hours. Lugano made the final decision on the transfer immediately after the game against Portugal.

Karimov's participation in the World Cup was jeopardized by an injury sustained in a Super League match in April. Although he likely would have transferred to a European club anyway, his recovery in time for the World Cup significantly eased his path to the main team.

The player's recovery was achieved within 40 days thanks to the coordinated efforts of the agency, Dr. Dilshod Ashirov of FC Gazalkent, the Uzbekistan Football Association, and Fabio Cannavaro's coaching staff.

Behruz suffered a fracture of the fifth metatarsal, a complex injury due to poor blood supply. It was decided to surgically insert a titanium pin through a minimal incision to allow the scar time to heal before the World Cup.

Doctors from the Munich clinic working with the German national team were brought in to perform the surgery, and Fabio Cannavaro sent the results to Italy. The surgery was performed by an Uzbek doctor, strictly following the protocols of European specialists, as there was no time for visa procedures.

Rehabilitation began two to three days after the surgery. Daily training maintained his body tone, which shortened the recovery time.

National team coach Fabio Cannavaro believed in the player and looked forward to his recovery. Karimov was ready for May 20-21, ahead of schedule, and was called up to the preliminary 30-man squad.

At the World Cup, Behruz suffered another injury – a minor strain to his anterior hamstring in the match against Colombia. Despite the pain, he completed the match. He wore painkillers and tape for the game against Portugal. In the match against Congo, Fabio Cannavaro decided not to take any risks to avoid aggravating the injury, which could have jeopardized his transfer and sidelined him for four to five months.

Upon his return to Tashkent, Karimov underwent treatment, and the injury healed successfully. The time spent negotiating with clubs was used for his recovery.

After the World Cup, negotiations began with several clubs. A German Bundesliga club remains interested and will monitor the player. A French club was considered, but Behruz's playing time was in doubt due to the strong right-back with a long-term contract. There were also offers from several Championship teams.

Behruz himself was choosing between Lugano and City Football Group.

Despite interest from Manchester City and the clear development plan proposed by Hugo Viana, the club's sporting director, it was decided that a sudden career leap would be risky. Manchester City could have acquired another right-back at any time, and Karimov would have ended up on loan again.

For Behruz, it was crucial not to go on loan. A loan is a temporary solution, whereas a direct transfer gives him more autonomy in choosing his next step. At a group club, a player is limited by their structure, whereas at Lugano, he can freely consider his options after a year.

The decision was made to move step by step, developing gradually.

Karimov consulted with his coaches at Surkhan, his former coach, and Odil Akhmedov from the Odil Junior Academy. It was collectively decided that Lugano was the best option to launch his European career. The club plays in the intense Swiss league, participates in European competitions, and is competing for the championship and the Cup. The main thing is that Behruz will play in the main squad, as the coach and sporting director see him there.

During the final stage of negotiations, the Lugano coach personally communicated with Behruz. The sporting director conducted most of the negotiations, and the club president personally called the agent, expressing his strong desire to have Karimov on his team.

Manchester City management was also eager to have him on their team and, even after choosing Lugano, asked Behruz to reconsider their offer.

Comparing Karimov's transfer to that of Abdukodir Khusanov, the agent noted that both players arrived in European football at roughly the same age. However, Khusanov immediately transferred to Lens from Belarusian club Energetik, while Karimov chose a more gradual transition from an Uzbek club to a Swiss club.

The goal is to give Behruz the opportunity to acclimate to European football, as the top five leagues are extremely fast-paced. Lugano was chosen as a team at a more suitable level for his adaptation.

Karimov is described as a cool and confident player, capable of taking charge of the game, unafraid to step up and make decisions, which is especially valuable at 18 years old against opponents like Diaz from Colombia or Mendes from Portugal.

The main thing is the player's potential. Lugano understands that they are not signing him for five years, but for a development period of 12-18 months, after which he will take the next step. For the club, this is also a business matter.

The key condition was that Behruz must be a contender for a place in the starting lineup.

Lugano has a strong right-back, Italian Mattia Zanotti. The club is likely planning to sell him and is looking for a replacement, as they did with Abdukodir Khusanov, who was sent to Lens to replace Danso.

The coach clearly sees Bekhrouz in the squad, and he will receive playing time. It will take some time to adapt, but the club is counting on him for the near future.

Initially, an agency employee will live with Bekhrouz, helping him with his daily routine and adaptation. He will then be left alone with the team to help him integrate more quickly and communicate in English and Italian, avoiding the "lifelong nanny" that hinders his adaptation.

Once his daily routine is resolved, it will be time to fully integrate into the team.

The first priority is to establish himself in the starting lineup and prepare for the move to a stronger league. The goal is clear for both the player and the club: one to one and a half seasons at Lugano, followed by a move to a more competitive league.

Karimov is fully capable of implementing this plan.

Analysts and scouts have provided information on the player's strengths and weaknesses. Over the next six months, during his adaptation period, Bekhruz will work to improve his shortcomings. He needs to work more with the ball, improve his heading skills, and acclimate to the speed and tactics of European football.

The work will be done gradually, without rushing things. The agency hopes that this work will help Uzbekistan acquire another top defender for the national team.

This is a profitable deal for Surkhan, as the club has retained a percentage of the player's next sale. The more successful the next transfer, the more money Surkhan will earn. This could bring the club a significant sum for Uzbek football.

It's also worth noting that the player's well-coordinated recovery from injury allowed Surkhan to receive an additional $200,000 in bonuses for Behruz's participation in the World Cup.

Selling Uzbek players to Europe for more than $500,000 is still difficult. While it's possible to sell them for more to Iran, Saudi Arabia, or Russia, there's a psychological barrier of $500,000 for European clubs in the top 10 leagues.

This is due to the fact that Uzbek players are foreigners without European passports, which limits their opportunities. Furthermore, clubs are concerned about adaptation issues. Despite the examples of Khusanov and Shomurodov, clubs are approaching this cautiously and are unwilling to risk large sums.

The goal for the next year or two is to raise this bar to $1 million, which will allow Uzbek clubs to earn more. If five or six Uzbek players play in the top five European leagues, the value of Uzbek players will increase.

It takes time for Uzbek players to establish themselves, attract more attention, and for clubs to be willing to allocate larger budgets for their transfers.

Interview by Davlat Umarov.