Gurban Gurbanov facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gurban Gurbanov

Gurbanov in 2023
Personal information
Date of birth	(1972-04-13) 13 April 1972 (age 53)
Place of birth	Ashaghy Tala, Zagatala District, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Qarabagh (manager)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1989–1991	Dashgin Zagatala	54	(23)
1991–1992	Mertskhali Ozurgeti	17	(4)
1992–1993	Dashgin Zagatala	39	(24)
1993–1995	Turan Tovuz	54	(21)
1995–1996	Kur Nur	12	(3)
1996–1998	Neftchi Baku	43	(43)
1998	Dynamo Stavropol	37	(18)
1999	Baltika Kaliningrad	14	(1)
1999–2001	Fakel Voronezh	37	(10)
2001	Neftchi Baku	14	(9)
2002	Fakel Voronezh	28	(7)
2003	Volgar-Gazprom	21	(0)
2004–2005	Neftchi Baku	23	(10)
2005–2006	Inter Baku	3	(1)
International career
1992–2005	Azerbaijan	68	(14)
Managerial career
2006–2007	Neftchi Baku
2008–	Qarabağ
2017–2018	Azerbaijan
Signature
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gurban Gurbanov is a famous Azerbaijani football manager and former player. He was born on April 13, 1972. He is known for being a great forward during his playing days. Today, he manages the football club Qarabag.

Gurbanov had a long career as a player, lasting 18 years. He scored 178 goals in 399 league matches. He is also the top goalscorer for the Azerbaijan national team. He scored 14 goals in 68 international matches. From 2017 to 2018, he also managed the Azerbaijan national team. Gurbanov has won many awards, with 21 trophies in total. He won five as a player and 16 as a manager.

Playing Career Highlights

Gurbanov started his football journey with a local club called Kur in 1988. He played for many different clubs during his career. Some of these clubs include Neftchi Baku, Turan Tovuz, and Inter Baku.

In the 1996–97 season, Gurbanov was the best scorer in the Azerbaijan Premier League while playing for Neftchi. He scored 25 goals that season. His amazing skills earned him the title of Azerbaijan's Player of the Year in 2003.

International Football

Gurbanov played for the Azerbaijan national team from its very first match. This was on September 17, 1992. He became the national team's all-time leading goalscorer. He scored 14 goals in 68 international matches before he stopped playing in 2005.

Managerial Success

After Gurbanov finished his playing career, he became a sports director. In 2006, he became the head coach of Neftchi Baku.

In 2008, he took over as head coach for Qarabağ FK. Under his leadership, Qarabağ FK has become very successful. In 2010, he became the most successful Azerbaijani manager in European competitions. He achieved 16 wins in these matches.

Leading Qarabağ to Titles

In May 2014, Gurbanov led Qarabağ to win their second Azerbaijani league title. This was a big achievement, as it had been 21 years since their last win. In July 2014, he helped Qarabağ reach the group stage of the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League. This made them only the second Azerbaijani team to reach this stage in a European competition.

A major highlight came in 2017. Qarabağ FK, managed by Gurbanov, made history. They became the first Azerbaijani team to reach the group stages of the UEFA Champions League. This was a huge step for Azerbaijani football.

National Team Manager

On November 3, 2017, Gurbanov was also appointed manager of the Azerbaijan national football team. He managed the national team for about a year. He resigned from this role on December 8, 2018.

Personal Life

Gurban Gurbanov comes from a football family. His brother, Musa Gurbanov, was also a footballer. Gurbanov is also the father of Musa Gurbanli, who plays for the Azerbaijan national team. In 2012, Gurbanov took part in a campaign to help stop domestic violence.

Career Statistics

Gurbanov scored many goals during his international career. Here is a list of his goals for the Azerbaijan national team.

List of international goals scored by Gurban Gurbanov

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	8 June 1993	Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran	Kazakhstan U21	1–0	3–3	1993 ECO Cup
2				2–1
3	27 February 1996	Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus	Faroe Islands	3–0	3–0	Friendly
4	27 May 1996	City Stadium, Maladzyechna, Belarus	Belarus	1–1	2–2	Friendly
5	22 March 1997	Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan	Turkmenistan	3–0	3–0	Friendly
6	14 October 1998	Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein	Liechtenstein	1–2	1–2	UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
7	6 March 1999	Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus	Estonia	1–0	2–2	Friendly
8	5 June 1999	Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan	Liechtenstein	1–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
9	12 February 2003	Podgorica City Stadium, Podgorica, Serbia and Montenegro	Serbia and Montenegro	1–2	2–2	UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
10				2–2
11	11 June 2003	Shafa Stadion, Baku, Azerbaijan	Serbia and Montenegro	1–1	2–1	UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
12	31 March 2004	Stadionul Republican, Chișinău, Moldova	Moldova	1–1	2–1	Friendly
13	28 May 2004	Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan	Uzbekistan	1–0	3–1	Friendly
14	6 June 2004	Skonto Stadium, Riga, Latvia	Latvia	2–1	2–2	Friendly

Managerial Statistics

Here is a summary of Gurbanov's coaching record for different teams.

Honours and Awards

Gurban Gurbanov has won many awards both as a player and as a manager.

As a Player

Turan Tovuz

• Azerbaijan Premier League: 1993–94

Neftchi Baku

• Azerbaijan Premier League: 1996–97, 2003–04, 2004–05
• Azerbaijan Cup: 2003–04

Individual Awards

• Azerbaijani Footballer of the Year: 2003
• Azerbaijan Premier League top scorer: 1996–97
• Azerbaijan all-time top scorer: 14 goals

As a Manager

Qarabağ

• Azerbaijan Premier League: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25
• Azerbaijan Cup: 2008–09, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2021–22, 2023–24

See also

In Spanish: Gurban Gurbanov para niños