Richard Trautmann headcoach of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan Judo Federation (ACF) makes structural and position changes in the management of national team with two foreign coaches involved in the positions. A newly established performance director and the national team coach of the men's national team. Dutch specialist Mark van der Ham was invited for the position of performance director and Richard Trautman, a German specialist for the position of head coach of the men's national team. Both specialists start from March 1, 2022.

At a meeting of the Executive Committee in Azerbaijan on February 28, 2022, both specialists were presented to the judo family. President of the Federation Rashad Nabiyev emphasized that the new specialists involved have proven their professionalism with the results they have achieved so far during their coaching activities. With their systematic and scientific approach to the preparation of elite athletes, they expressed their confidence that Azerbaijani Judo will rise to a higher level in the world thanks to the rich judo traditions of Azerbaijan and the success of the athletes until and including the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Later, the Secretary General of the Federation Rashad Rasullu informed noted to create a position of director of performance in the international practice in the federation. Performance director Mark van der Ham, who will oversee the organisation of the work of national teams for all age groups, is simultaneously responsible for improving efficiency in the performance of athletes. Including analytical analysis of their and their opponents' performance, modern sports medical and physical preparation approaches are applied to improve the performance of the national team members. Appropriate software, scientific methodological approaches and technical equipment and tools are currently used.

Mark van der Ham started his coaching career in 2006 at Rotterdam, one of the two largest judo clubs in the Netherlands. He worked in 2012-2016 in the positions of coach and head coach of the Dutch judo team. He started to act as head coach of the youth team in Belgium in 2017, he was named head coach of senior national team in 2018 and all national teams in 2020 and became senior World Champion with Matthias Casse in 2021. Athletes trained during their activity have repeatedly won medals at the Olympic Games, World and European Championships.

Richard Trautman, the new head coach of the men's national football team (double Olympic medalist, won bronze medals at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and 1996 in Atlanta) started in since the same year he has been invited to work as an assistant coach for the German judo team. He was head coach of the German youth team in 2005-2008, youth team in 2009-2016 and senior team in 2016-2021. Richard Trautman has practiced for all age groups in the German judo teams. His activity has won the German national team medals many times in the Olympics, last time he claimed a silver medal at the 2020 Olympic Games as coach of Eduard Trippel. He was coach at World and European Championships for different age groups. He has extensive experience in preparing training-training programs aimed at achieving high results in international tournaments and shaping specific tactics for future competitions.

The current head coach of the men's national team Movlud Miraliyev, will continue his activity in the national team as a senior coach.