QARABAG SURPRISE EUROPE

The  Azerbaijani clubs largely failed in the opening rounds of football's European competitions.  Xazar-Lankaran, Inter and Baki soon made their exit.  Just like last year, the only club to please Azerbaijani football fans is Qarabag.  The team, formed by Qurban Qurbanov from mainly local players has got through three rounds, thus writing a new page in the history of Azerbaijani football.

So what is the secret of Qarabag's success, with a smaller budget than that of other clubs?  Why were the others knocked out immediately after the start of the tournaments?

Money is not the most important factor

Xazar-Lankaran, dubbed the "Chelsea of the Caucasus" as soon as they were founded, lost to Olimpia from Moldova in the very first qualifying round.  The team, two of whose players cost more than the entire opposing eleven, played like boys in a courtyard.  After a 0-0 draw in Moldova, everyone was sure that the opposition would take a beating in Lankaran.  But Xazar-Lankaran's very first home game in a European tournament ended 1-1, which took the Moldovans to the next round.  After a very weak performance, club manager Agasalim Mircavadov was fired, and Mirca Rednik took over.

The main reason for Xazar-Lankaran's loss was that the players did not perform at their best.  The highest-paid footballers in the Azerbaijani Championship were unrecognisable in the home game.  And judging by some incidents during the game, one might be tempted to recall the rumours of match-fixing.

Incidentally, Agasalim Mircavadov resigned after the club lost the final game of last season's championship.  But the club's bosses did not accept his resignation back then and left the experienced manager in post.  On the other hand, during the preparation for the Europa League games, the players he wanted were not signed for the club.  Instead, the club invited Zaur Ramazanov and Xaqani Mammadov....  Alas, listing all the problems at the country's richest club would take too long.  The team now has an almost entirely new make-up.  Most of the old players have left, and the new manager has brought in Romanian players.

Inter lost the lottery

Azerbaijan's champions, Inter had to play the strongest opponents:  in the second qualifying round of the Champion's League, Kakhaber Tskhadadze's team was drawn against the Polish champion Lech.  After losing 1-0 to the Poles in Baku, the bankers won in Poland by the same score.  Because it was a tie, the teams went on to play extra time.  However, no one scored and so it went to penalty kicks.  To be fair, it has to be said that Inter's goalkeeper, and Georgian international, Giorgi Lomaia played well and saved two of the opposition's attempts.  But at the end, the teams were still level, and goalkeepers themselves had to take penalties.  Lomaia was outperformed by his Polish opposite number, so Inter had to say farewell to Europe, after losing 9-8 to Lech.

Despite the loss, Inter's game in Poland deserves praise.  At the same time, it was the team's fault that it did not go on to the next round.  Inter had to at least draw in Baku.  But Tskhadadze's team did not play with confidence.  Playing with only one striker, the team was doomed to lose the home game.  It was a tactical mistake by the manager.

Baku had bad luck

Azerbaijan Cup winners Baki simply had bad luck in the second qualifying round of the Europa League.  The team was knocked out despite the fact that it won both games against Buducnost from Montenegro 2-1.  However, the UEFA awarded victory by default to Buducnost after the first game because the Baku team fielded Jo?l Dieudonn? Epall?, a midfielder from Cameroon, who had been suspended after a previous game as a Bochum player.

Of course, the UEFA decision disappointed Azerbaijani fans, who had pinned their hopes for the European tournaments precisely on Baku.  Just one mistake by the club's officials cost the club - and all Azerbaijani football - dearly.

Qarabag are our pride

Like last year, Azerbaijani football was best represented at continental level by the Qarabag club.  The club from Agdam surprised Europe with its wonderful play.  After beating Metallurg from Macedonia in the first qualifying round, Qurban Qurbanov's game also gave a lesson to Portadown from Northern Ireland.  In the next round, Qarabag had to play a stronger team, Wisla from Poland.  Beating the Poles was a matter of honour for Qarabag because no Azerbaijani club had won a game against Polish footballers; especially as the Azerbaijani national team has in its record two defeats against the Polish national team (0-8 and 0-5).  Placing the emphasis on counterattack in the away game, Qurbanov made it easier to move on to the play-off stage.  Vuqar Nadirov's goal won the game for the Azerbaijani team (1-0).  However, this minimal lead was no guarantee for the home game.

Some 30,000 fans attended the game at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, and Qarabag simply could not let them down.  In the first half, the Azerbaijani team scored 3 goals in the space of 7 minutes, without conceding any.  But Wisla were not going to surrender without a battle.  In the second half, the Poles reduced the lead by scoring 2 goals.  Apparently, the players from Karabakh relaxed too early.  However, all is well that ends well:  the 3-2 victory was more than enough for the Azerbaijani team to move on to the play-off stage in the Europa League.

Now Qarabag have to play Borussia from Dortmund to enter the group stage.  The first game will take place on 19 August in Germany, and the return game will be held one week later in Baku.

The analysis of Qarabag's games shows that the secret of the team's success is quite simple.  First, the club provides the main base for the national team:  the country's best players play for Qarabag.  Second, the factor of having a local manager has to be taken into account:  the team is managed by the young and promising Qurban Qurbanov, who in the past played with most of the players in his team.  And the third important factor is of a psychological nature:  the club bears the name of a jewel of Azerbaijan, Karabakh, which is currently occupied by Armenia.  Both the team's players and the entire football community of Azerbaijan deem it a matter of honour to be worthy of the name.