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Qarabağ
Qarabağ FK logo
Full name Qarabağ Futbol Klubu
Nickname(s) Atlılar (The Horsemen)
Göy-ağlar (Blue and Whites)
Founded 1951; 74 years ago (1951) (as Məhsul)
1987; 38 years ago (1987) (as Qarabağ)
Ground Azersun Arena
Ground Capacity 5,800
Owner Azersun Holding
President Tahir Gözel
Manager Gurban Gurbanov
League Azerbaijan Premier League
2023–24 Azerbaijan Premier League, 1st of 10 (champions)
Third colours

Qarabağ Futbol Klubu is a professional football team from Azerbaijan. They play in the Azerbaijan Premier League, which is the top football league in Azerbaijan. The club started in Aghdam, a city in the Karabakh region. However, since 1993, they have played their games in Baku, the capital city. This is because of a conflict called the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.

Qarabağ plays its home matches at the Azersun Arena and sometimes at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium in Baku. This stadium is also used by the Azerbaijan national team.

The club was formed in 1987. They were one of the first teams in the Azerbaijan Premier League when it started in 1992. Just one year later, they won their first league championship! They were the first team not from Baku to win the Premier League title. Qarabağ and Neftçi PFK are the only two teams that have played in every Premier League season so far.

In 2014, Qarabağ won the Premier League again, after 21 years. They have now won the Premier League eleven times and the Azerbaijan Cup eight times. Qarabağ was the second Azerbaijani team to reach the group stage of a European competition, playing in the UEFA Europa League in 2014–15. They were also the first Azerbaijani team to reach the group stage of the even bigger UEFA Champions League in 2017–18. They have played more games in UEFA competitions than any other team from Azerbaijan.

Club History

Early Years (1951–1991)

The club began in 1951 as Mehsul. This happened after the city stadium in Aghdam was built. The team first played in the 1966 Azerbaijani SSR championship. They finished in fourth place that year.

Qarabağ played in the local championship for four years. Their best result was second place in 1969. After 1969, the team stopped playing for almost ten years. This was due to a lack of money and support. In 1977, the team started again as Shafaq. From 1982 to 1987, they were called "Cooperative society". In 1988, Qarabağ won the championship in the Azerbaijan SSR local league. This win allowed them to play in the Soviet Second League.

Moving to Baku (1991–2008)

On July 23, 1993, during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, the city of Aghdam was taken over. The team had to leave their home stadium, Imarat Stadium, and move to Baku. Sadly, their former coach and player, Allahverdi Baghirov, died in the war. Despite these challenges, Qarabağ won the league and the cup in 1993.

From 1998 to 2001, the club faced money problems. Even so, they became the first Azerbaijani team to win an away game in a European competition. They beat Maccabi Haifa from Israel in 1999. This was thanks to two goals from club legend Mushfig Huseynov. Qarabağ also played in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Cup many times.

Things got better in 2001 when Azersun Holding, a big company in Azerbaijan, started supporting the team. The team was called Qarabag-Azersun for two seasons. Then, in 2004, they went back to their original name.

The Gurban Gurbanov Era (2008–Present)

Gurbangurbanovpress (cropped)
Gurban Gurbanov is a very successful manager for Qarabağ.

In 2008, Gurban Gurbanov, a former Azerbaijani football star, became the head coach. He chose to focus on developing local players instead of buying many foreign ones. Gurbanov introduced a "tiki-taka" style of play. This means short passes, long periods of building up attacks, and players changing positions.

Under Gurbanov, Qarabağ became one of Azerbaijan's most successful teams in Europe. They won three games in a row and reached the UEFA Europa League play-off round. They beat teams like Rosenborg and Honka. These achievements made Gurban Gurbanov one of the most successful Azerbaijani managers ever.

In 2010, the club set a new Azerbaijani record. They had their biggest win in a European competition, beating Metalurg Skopje 4–1. They also knocked out Wisła Kraków to reach the play-offs for the second year. In 2011, they repeated this by beating Banga Gargždai 4–0. The 2011–12 season was not as good, as they finished fourth and missed out on European games. But in 2013, Qarabağ reached the Europa League play-off round for the third time.

In May 2014, Qarabağ won their second league title after 21 years. A month later, they beat Red Bull Salzburg. This made them the first Azerbaijani team to win in the third round of the UEFA Champions League. In August 2014, they reached the Europa League play-off round for the fourth time in five seasons. In 2014, Qarabağ qualified for the Europa League group stage. They were the second Azerbaijani team to do this. On October 23, 2014, they beat Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 1–0. This was the first time an Azerbaijani club won a Europa League group stage match.

In 2017, Qarabağ beat Sheriff Tiraspol to reach the UEFA Champions League play-off rounds. They won 1–0 against F.C. Copenhagen in Baku. Even though they lost the second game 2–1, Qarabağ won because of the away goals rule. This made them the first Azerbaijani team to reach the group stages of the UEFA Champions League! They were in Group C with Chelsea, Atlético Madrid, and Roma. They earned two points from two draws and four losses.

In 2021, Qarabağ played in the group stage of the UEFA Europa Conference League for the first time. They beat teams like Ashdod, AEL Limassol, and Aberdeen to get there. They finished second in their group and made it to the Knockout Play-off Round.

In the 2023–24 season, Qarabağ reached the UEFA Europa League group stage. They finished second behind Bayer Leverkusen. They then played against Braga in the knockout round play-off. Qarabağ won the first game 4–2. Braga won the second game 2–0 in normal time, but Qarabağ still won 6–5 on total goals after extra time. This made them the first team from Azerbaijan to reach the round of 16 in any UEFA club competition! In the round of 16, they played Bayer Leverkusen again. They tied 2–2 at home, but lost 3–2 in the second game after two late goals from Patrik Schick.

Home Stadiums

AzersunArena
The Azersun Arena is Qarabağ's home stadium.

Qarabağ used to play at Guzanli Olympic Stadium. This stadium is in Quzanlı, a town in the Agdam Rayon region. Their original home, the Imarat Stadium, was destroyed during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.

In 2012, they announced a new stadium, the Azersun Arena. It opened in June 2015. The Azersun Arena is in Surakhani, Baku. It is used for the club's Azerbaijan Premier League home games and can hold 5,800 people.

For bigger games in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, Qarabağ uses the Baku Olympic Stadium and Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium. The most fans ever at a Qarabağ game was 67,200. This happened on September 27, 2017, during a Champions League group stage match against Roma.

On December 21, 2023, Qarabağ played a cup match at Khankendi Stadium in Khankendi. This was the first game played in the Karabakh Economic Region since the end of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War.

Club Supporters

Many of Qarabağ's fans come from the city of Aghdam. But they also have a lot of support all over Azerbaijan. This is because they are the only team that represents the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which has been affected by war. The club is a symbol of hope and pride for many Azerbaijani people who had to leave their homes. In recent years, the club has started projects to help young people in settlements near the Nagorno-Karabakh border.

The club has several fan groups, like Imarat, Qarabağ Ordusu, Boys Qarabağ, and Ladies of Qarabağ. These groups often get free tickets to games, which helps bring more fans to support Qarabağ.

Team Colors and Crest

Avropa Liqası Muzeyi Bakıda 09
Qarabağ's away shirt from 2018–19.

The crest on the club's emblem is a symbol of the Karabakh region. English designers created it, and it features the Karabakh horse. The horse is also why the club's nickname is "The Horsemen." The crest was on club items earlier, but it first appeared on the team's shirts in 2004.

After Gurban Gurbanov became coach, Qarabağ's exciting style of play made fans call them "Qafqazın Barselonası" (which means "Barcelona of The Caucasus"). This compares them to the famous Barcelona team. The club is sometimes called "Qaçqın Klub" ("The Refugee Club"). This name comes from their connection to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh and the issue of refugees in Azerbaijan.

Team Kits

Qarabağ's traditional kit colors are black and white. These colors represent light and darkness, linking to the club's home in Nagorno-Karabakh. The team's kits are made by Adidas. Their main sponsor is Azersun, a food company based in Baku.

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2003–2004 Fila FINAL
2004–2007 Adidas Azersun
2007–2008 Puma
2008–2010 Adidas
2010–2011 Azərbaycan Sənaye Bankı
2011–2012 Kappa Azersun
2012–2022 Adidas
2022–2023 İl`Azero
2023– Adidas

Recent Seasons

Here's how the club has performed in the last ten years:

Season Div. Pos. Pl. W D L GS GA Diff P Cup Europe Top Scorer (League goals) Head Coach
2014–15 Premier League 1 32 20 8 4 51 28 +23 68 W CL / EL III R / GS Brazil Reynaldo, Netherlands Leroy (10) Azerbaijan Gurban Gurbanov
2015–16 1 36 26 6 4 66 21 +45 84 W CL / EL III R / GS Spain Dani Quintana
2016–17 1 28 19 5 4 46 14 +32 62 W CL / EL III R / GS South Africa Dino Ndlovu (10)
2017–18 1 28 20 5 3 37 13 +24 65 QF CL GS Azerbaijan Mahir Emreli (8)
2018–19 1 27 19 6 2 62 19 +43 63 SF CL / EL III R / GS Azerbaijan Mahir Emreli (16)
2019–20 1 20 13 6 1 34 7 +27 45 SF CL / EL III R / GS Azerbaijan Mahir Emreli (7)
2020–21 2 28 16 9 3 64 18 +46 57 SF CL / EL III R / GS Azerbaijan Mahir Emreli (18)
2021–22 1 28 21 6 1 72 13 +59 69 W ECL KO Brazil Kady Borges (12)
2022–23 1 36 28 6 2 91 25 +66 90 QF CL / EL / ECL PO / GS / KO Azerbaijan Ramil Sheydayev (22)
2023–24 1 36 26 5 5 97 37 +60 83 W CL / EL II R / 1/8 Brazil Juninho (20)

European Football Record

Chelsea 6 Qarabag 0 (36807146810)
Qarabağ playing against Chelsea in the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League.

The club has played in 18 different European competitions organized by UEFA. These include the Champions League, UEFA Cup and Europa League, Cup Winners' Cup, and Europa Conference League. Qarabağ has played six times in the Europa League after starting in the Champions League.

Since their first European game in 1996–97, Qarabağ has played 134 UEFA matches. Their record is 48 wins, 35 draws, and 51 losses.

Tournament P W D L GF GA GD Win%
UEFA Champions League &&&&&&&&&&&&&057.&&&&&057 &&&&&&&&&&&&&024.&&&&&024 &&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018 &&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015 &&&&&&&&&&&&&082.&&&&&082 &&&&&&&&&&&&&054.&&&&&054 +28 &&&&&&&&&&&&&042.11000042.11
UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League &&&&&&&&&&&&0105.&&&&&0105 &&&&&&&&&&&&&037.&&&&&037 &&&&&&&&&&&&&023.&&&&&023 &&&&&&&&&&&&&045.&&&&&045 &&&&&&&&&&&&0121.&&&&&0121 &&&&&&&&&&&&0148.&&&&&0148 −27 &&&&&&&&&&&&&035.24000035.24
UEFA Europa Conference League &&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&019.&&&&&019 &&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017 +2 &&&&&&&&&&&&&050.&&&&&050.00
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012 −11 &0&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00.00
UEFA Intertoto Cup &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011 −9 &&&&&&&&&&&&&025.&&&&&025.00
Total &&&&&&&&&&&&0186.&&&&&0186 &&&&&&&&&&&&&070.&&&&&070 &&&&&&&&&&&&&046.&&&&&046 &&&&&&&&&&&&&070.&&&&&070 &&&&&&&&&&&&0225.&&&&&0225 &&&&&&&&&&&&0241.&&&&&0241 −16 &&&&&&&&&&&&&037.63000037.63

UEFA Club Rankings

Updated March 8, 2024

Rank Team Coefficient
54 Switzerland Young Boys 34.500
55 Turkey Fenerbahçe 34.000
56 Italy Fiorentina 33.000
57 Azerbaijan Qarabağ 33.000
58 Spain Real Betis 33.000
59 Scotland Celtic 32.000
60 Turkey Galatasaray 31.500

Players

This list shows the main country each player is from. Some non-European players also have citizenship in a European Union country.

Current Team Squad

No. Position Player
1 Azerbaijan GK Shakhruddin Magomedaliyev
2 Brazil DF Matheus Silva
6 Brazil MF Júlio Romão
7 Algeria MF Yassine Benzia
8 Montenegro MF Marko Janković
10 France MF Abdellah Zoubir (vice-captain)
11 Ghana FW Emmanuel Addai
12 Azerbaijan GK Sadig Mammadzade
13 Azerbaijan DF Behlul Mustafazade (3rd captain)
15 Cape Verde MF Leandro Andrade
18 Brazil FW Juninho
19 Albania FW Redon Xhixha
20 Azerbaijan MF Richard Almeida
21 Ukraine MF Oleksiy Kashchuk
No. Position Player
22 Azerbaijan FW Musa Qurbanlı
24 Azerbaijan MF Aleksey Isayev
27 Azerbaijan DF Toral Bayramov
29 Montenegro DF Marko Vešović
30 Azerbaijan DF Abbas Hüseynov
44 Azerbaijan DF Elvin Cafarguliyev
55 Azerbaijan DF Badavi Guseynov (captain)

Fs player|no=66|pos=MF|nat=CPV|name=Patrick Andrade}}

81 Colombia DF Kevin Medina (4th captain)
89 Azerbaijan GK Amin Ramazanov
90 Azerbaijan FW Nariman Akhundzade
97 Croatia GK Fabijan Buntić
99 Poland GK Mateusz Kochalski

For recent transfers, see 2023–24 Qarabağ FK season, Transfers summer 2024 and Transfers winter 2023–24.

Players on Loan

No. Position Player
Azerbaijan MF Ismayil Ibrahimli (at Zira)
Azerbaijan FW Rustam Akhmedzade (at Zira)

Reserve Team

Qarabağ-2 is the reserve team. They have played in the Azerbaijan First Division since 2018.

No. Position Player
25 Azerbaijan DF Nihad Hasanzade
26 Azerbaijan MF Rauf Maharramov
32 Azerbaijan DF Hikmat Jabrayilzade
33 Azerbaijan MF Ugur Safarov
34 Azerbaijan DF Rustam Alizade
39 Azerbaijan MF Eltun Babazade
40 Azerbaijan MF Omar Mammadzade
41 Azerbaijan GK Emin Isgandarli
45 Azerbaijan DF Nihad Mollayev
47 Azerbaijan MF Musa Musazade
54 Azerbaijan FW Musa Mammadov
62 Azerbaijan MF Nurlan Shabanov
70 Azerbaijan MF Jafar Hasanov
71 Azerbaijan GK Gurban Maharramov
No. Position Player
73 Azerbaijan DF Khayal Alakbarov
74 Azerbaijan DF Sabuhi Niftiyev
75 Azerbaijan MF Emil Binyatzade
76 Azerbaijan MF Nihad Aliyev
79 Azerbaijan MF Mirmovsum Janiyev
80 Azerbaijan MF Ilham Huseynov
82 Azerbaijan MF Samad Zalli
86 Azerbaijan GK Vagif Malik-Yeganov
91 Azerbaijan MF Elton Mikayilov
92 Azerbaijan FW Ibrahim Jamalov
93 Azerbaijan MF Ashraf Zeynalli
94 Azerbaijan MF Huseyn Huseynli
95 Azerbaijan MF Farid Taghiyev

Club Officials

Club Achievements

Qarabağ has won many titles! They have won the Azerbaijan Premier League eleven times. They also have eight Azerbaijan Cup titles and one Azerbaijan Supercup trophy. Qarabağ was the first team not from Baku to win the Azerbaijan Premier League. Along with Neftçi PFK, they are one of only two teams that have played in every Premier League season.

Azerbaijan Titles

  • Azerbaijan League
    • Winners (11): 1993, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
    • Second Place (4): 1993–94, 1996–97, 2012–13, 2020–21
  • Azerbaijan Cup
    • Winners (8): 1993, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2021–22, 2023–24
    • Second Place (3): 1995–96, 1997–98, 1999–00
  • Azerbaijan Supercup
    • Winners (1): 1994

USSR Titles

  • Azerbaijan SSR League
    • Winners (2): 1988, 1990
    • Second Place (1): 1969
  • Azerbaijan SSR Cup
    • Winners (1): 1990

Player Records

Here are the players who have scored the most goals and played the most games for Qarabağ. Players in bold are still playing for the club.

Top Goalscorers

Mahir Emreli 2021
Mahir Emreli is one of Qarabağ's top goal scorers.
Rank Player Years League Cup European Total
1 Azerbaijan Huseynov, MushfigMushfig Huseynov 1989–1999
2003–2004
2005–2007
125 (320) ? (?) 2 (?) 127 (320)
2 Azerbaijan Emreli, MahirMahir Emreli 2015–2021 59 (126) 7 (21) 5 (49) 72 (216)
3 Brazil Reynaldo 2012–2017
2019
44 (92) 7 (9) 11 (35) 62 (139)
4 Azerbaijan Almeida, RichardRichard Almeida 2012–2018
2018–2019
2021–present
49 (249) 5 (30) 8 (91) 62 (370)
5 France Zoubir, AbdellahAbdellah Zoubir 2018–present 43 (158) 4 (21) 14 (84) 61 (263)
6 Azerbaijan Musayev, SamirSamir Musayev 2002–2006 44 (85) ? (?) 2 (?) 46 (85)
7 Azerbaijan Huseynov, YasharYashar Huseynov 1989–2002 44 (?) ? (?) ? (?) 44 (?)
8 Spain Quintana, DaniDani Quintana 2015–2020 33 (98) 3 (12) 8 (44) 44 (154)
9 Azerbaijan Ozobić, FilipFilip Ozobić 2018–2023 34 (95) 0 (8) 7 (47) 41 (150)
10 Azerbaijan Nadirov, VüqarVüqar Nadirov 2001–2005
2009–2015
2016–2017
28 (211) 8 (19) 5 (36) 41 (266)

Most Appearances

Maksim Medvedev-2
Maksim Medvedev has played the most games for Qarabağ.
Rank Player Years League Cup European Total
1 Azerbaijan Medvedev, MaksimMaksim Medvedev 2006–2024 376 (12) 50 (2) 126 (3) 552 (17)
2 Azerbaijan Qarayev, QaraQara Qarayev 2008–2023 308 (5) 41 (0) 120 (0) 469 (5)
3 Azerbaijan Almeida, RichardRichard Almeida 2012–2018
2018–2019
2021–present
249 (49) 30 (5) 91 (8) 370 (62)
4 Azerbaijan Guseynov, BadaviBadavi Guseynov 2013–present 231 (5) 31 (0) 89 (0) 351 (5)
5 Azerbaijan Huseynov, YasharYashar Huseynov 1989–2002 325 (44) ? (?) ? (?) 325 (44)
6 Azerbaijan Huseynov, MushfigMushfig Huseynov 1989–1999
2003–2004
2005–2007
320 (120) ? (?) ? (?) 320 (125)
7 Albania Agolli, AnsiAnsi Agolli 2010–2019 224 (3) 24 (0) 69 (1) 317 (4)
8 Azerbaijan Aliyev, SattarSattar Aliyev 1989
1990–2004
306 (17) ? (?) ? (?) 306 (17)
9 Azerbaijan Kerimov, AslanAslan Kerimov 1993–1997
2003–2011
268 (12) ? (?) ? (0) 268 (12)
10 Azerbaijan Nadirov, VüqarVüqar Nadirov 2001–2005
2009–2015
2016–2017
211 (28) 19 (8) 36 (5) 266 (5)

Notable Managers

This information is correct as of October 28, 2022. Only official matches are counted.

Name Nat. From To P W D L GS GA %W Honours Notes
Elbrus Abbasov  Soviet Union 1988, 1990 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Azerbaijan SSR League (2)
Azerbaijan SSR Cup
Aghasalim Mirjavadov  Azerbaijan 1993 1994 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Azerbaijan Premier League
Azerbaijan Cup
Azerbaijan Supercup
Boyukagha Aghayev  Azerbaijan
2006
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Azerbaijan Cup
Gurban Gurbanov  Azerbaijan 2008 Present &&&&&&&&&&&&0406.&&&&&0406 &&&&&&&&&&&&0226.&&&&&0226 &&&&&&&&&&&&0106.&&&&&0106 &&&&&&&&&&&&&074.&&&&&074 &&&&&&&&&&&&0588.&&&&&0588 &&&&&&&&&&&&0301.&&&&&0301 &&&&&&&&&&&&&055.67000055.67 Azerbaijan Premier League (10)
Azerbaijan Cup (4)

Notes: P – Total games played W – Games won D – Games drawn L – Games lost GS – Goals scored GA – Goals against
%W – Percentage of games won

The country flag shows the manager's nationality.

Player Transfers

The biggest player transfer happened in January 2023. The Brazilian attacking midfielder Kady Borges, who was 26, moved to the Russian club Krasnodar for €2.00 million.

Record Transfers

Rank Player To Fee Year
1. Brazil Kady Borges Russia Krasnodar €5.00 million 2023
2. Senegal Ibrahima Wadji France Saint-Étienne €1.50 million 2022
3. South Africa Dino Ndlovu China Zhejiang Professional €0.65 million 2018
4. Azerbaijan Musa Gurbanli Sweden Djurgårdens €0.50 million 2023
5. Ghana Owusu Kwabena Hungary Ferencváros €0.50 million 2023

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Qarabağ Futbol Klubu para niños

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