Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) —  On 4 December, Tashkent’s football club Pakhtakor officially announced the appointment of Portuguese specialist Pedro Moreira as its new head coach. The announcement was made during a press conference regarding the team’s future plans.

A one-year contract with an option for an additional year was signed with Moreira, who will attract four assistant to work with a team.

Club president Jahongir Artykhodjaev stated that the previous head coach, Maxim Shatskikh, who had held the position since June 2022, will now take on the role of advisor to the club's chairman

. Artykhodjaev mentioned that the team faced significant roster changes this season, with key players such as Abbosbek Fayzulloyev, Aziz Turgunboev, and Khodzhimat Erkinov leaving. As a result, the focus shifted to youth development, which, according to Shatskikh, complicated the fight for the championship. However, Artykhodjaev pointed out that the club’s youth teams became champions of Uzbekistan in other age groups.

“We thank Maxim Shatskikh for his contribution. He remains an important part of the club but in a new role as an advisor to the board of directors,” said Artykhodjaev.

Moreira’s primary task is to lead the team to a championship. Details of his contract, including salary, remain confidential. “No matter what his salary is, he has to earn it honestly. We are not going to interfere with his work and turn him into an ‘Uzbek’ who will be stuck in a teahouse in a week,” added Artykhodjaev.

It was also announced that the club's top scorer, 37-year-old Serbian forward Dragan Cheran, will be leaving the team. Cheran has played 151 matches for Pakhtakor since 2018, scoring 99 goals.

As for Pedro Moreira, his coaching career has primarily been associated with working as an assistant to Paulo Fonseca at clubs like Porto, Braga, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Roma. In 2022, he began his independent coaching career by taking charge of Portuguese club Torreense in the second division.