Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan facts for kids
| UEFA | |
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| Short name | Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Founded | 26 March 1992 |
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| Headquarters | Khatai, Baku |
| FIFA affiliation | 1994 |
| UEFA affiliation | 1994 |
| President | Rovshan Najaf |
| Vice-President | 3 officials |
The Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) is the main group that manages football in Azerbaijan. It was started in 1992. AFFA is in charge of all football games, both for fun and for professionals, across Azerbaijan. It is also a member of two big international football groups: UEFA and FIFA.
AFFA makes sure all official football matches in Azerbaijan follow the rules. It also helps organize local games through the AFFA Amateur League. AFFA runs many exciting competitions, like the famous Azerbaijan Cup. This association also chooses the coaches and managers for Azerbaijan's national football teams. These include the men's, women's, and youth teams.
Contents
History of Azerbaijani Football
How AFFA Started
The AFFA was created on March 26, 1992. This happened after Azerbaijan became an independent country, separating from the USSR. A few years later, in 1994, AFFA joined both UEFA and FIFA.
New Developments and Leadership
On February 23, 2009, AFFA opened the Azerbaijan Football Academy in Baku. This academy helps train young football players. In 2010, the association got a new logo. In 2012, Rovnag Abdullayev was chosen to lead AFFA for a second time. More recently, in 2024, Rovshan Najaf became the new President of AFFA.
Who Leads AFFA?
Important People in AFFA
AFFA has many people who help run football in Azerbaijan. Here are some of the main leaders:
- President: Rovshan Najaf
- Vice-Presidents: Balakishi Gasimov, Elshad Nasirov, Konul Mehtiyeva
- Executive Vice-President: Sarkhan Hajiyev
Other important members come from different parts of football. These include the Professional Football League, Sectional Football Federations, and Public Football Unions. They all work together to make football better in Azerbaijan.
AFFA and FIFA: Working Together
A Past Challenge
In April 2002, Azerbaijan's football association faced a big challenge. UEFA stopped them from playing in international games for two years. This happened because there were some disagreements between AFFA and many of the top clubs in the Azerbaijan Premier League. Because of this, the national championship games stopped. Also, the best players from the clubs did not play for the national team.
Football Competitions in Azerbaijan
Men's Football Leagues and Cups
AFFA organizes many exciting football competitions for men:
- Azerbaijan Premier League: This is the top football league in the country.
- Azerbaijan First Division: This is the second-highest league.
- Azerbaijan Cup: A knockout competition where teams compete to win a trophy.
- Azerbaijan Supercup: A match usually played between the winners of the Premier League and the Azerbaijan Cup.
- Azerbaijan Futsal Premier League: Futsal is a version of football played indoors on a smaller field.
- AFFA Amateur League: For players who play football for fun, not as professionals.
Women's Football League
- Azerbaijan Women's Football League: This is the main football league for women in Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan's National Football Teams
Teams for All Ages
AFFA also organizes the national football teams that represent Azerbaijan in international games. These teams include players of all ages:
- Men's Teams:
- Senior Team: The main men's team, currently managed by Fernando Santos.
- Under-23
- Under-21
- Under-20
- Under-19
- Under-18
- Under-17
- Under-16
- Under-15
- Futsal Team
- Beach Soccer Team
- Women's Teams:
- Senior Team: The main women's team.
- Under-17
AFFA Sponsors
Companies Supporting Football
Many companies help support football in Azerbaijan by sponsoring AFFA. These sponsors help provide money and resources for the teams and competitions. Some of the current sponsors include:
- Topaz
- Bakcell
- Atena
- Unicef
- Coca-Cola
- AccessBank Azerbaijan
- Clear
See also
In Spanish: Asociación de Federaciones de Fútbol de Azerbaiyán para niños
- Professional Football League of Azerbaijan
