GARABAGH SHOCKS CHELSEA

English football fans have held a special gratitude towards Azerbaijani football for 60 years. The reason dates back to a historic event in 1966. In the World Cup final, England faced Germany. Thanks to the decisiveness of Azerbaijani referee Tofig Bahramov, England became world champions for the first and, so far, the only time.

When character matters more than billions

It is no secret that English clubs represent one of the strongest leagues in the world—the Premier League—and traditionally look down on others. This attitude was confirmed once again during the draw for the group stage of the current Champions League. When drawn against Garabagh, London’s Chelsea chose not to analyse the Azerbaijani club’s game but instead discussed the distance of 4,000 km between London and Baku. Later, Azerbaijani fans were surprised by the visitors’ itinerary: citing the long journey, the club announced it would not hold a training session in Baku. The press conference was held online, with head coach Enzo Maresca answering questions from local journalists while remaining in London.

Garabagh had never beaten English clubs before. Therefore, most experts predicted an easy victory for the “Aristocrats” (as Chelsea fans call their team) in Baku. However, Gurban Gurbanov’s team showed character and tactical maturity that shocked their opponents. In the end, the Londoners had to be content with taking only one point from Baku.

Eight years ago, when Garabagh first reached the Champions League group stage, Chelsea was also one of their opponents. Then, the English won 6-0 and 4-0. Before this match, Chelsea even posted videos of those games on social media, apparently hinting that history would repeat itself.

Big football means big money. To be a world-class club, financial potential is paramount. Garabagh’s market value is estimated at €24 million, while Chelsea’s squad value exceeds €1 billion. However, the draw in Baku proved that money is important but does not always decide everything.

A draw that inspires

The 2:2 draw in the home match of the Champions League fourth round showed that even teams full of stars can be challenged successfully. Garabagh confirmed it is a club setting new standards in European football through dedication and belief in its own strength.

The match at the Tofig Bahramov Republican Stadium, attended by 30,000 spectators, was a real celebration. For the first time, about 800 visiting fans arrived in Baku. Garabagh supporters, who made up nearly the entire stadium crowd, cheered their team until the last minute despite the late hour.

The crowd’s support was an important factor: the noise and pressure from fans disrupted the Londoners' attacks. Another key element was Gurban Gurbanov’s team’s courageous and commendable performance.

Before the match, the coach said that regardless of the result, Garabagh was already a winner since hosting such opponents as Chelsea matters not only for one club but for all Azerbaijani football. This time, Garabagh won both morally and on the pitch.

Gurban Gurbanov understood that playing a defensive game against Chelsea was risky and proposed attacking football from the first minute. The surprised guests did not lose composure and scored first, leading many to believe the match was lost. However, precise tactical decisions followed: despite one Garabagh player having to leave due to injury, the team managed to equalise. After a shot by Camilo Duran hit the post, Leandro Andrade finished it into the net—1:1.

Soon after, the English suffered another blow. At the end of the first half, a Chelsea defender handled the ball in the penalty area, and the referee immediately pointed to the spot. Marko Yankovic confidently converted the penalty—2:1.

To be fair, due to the tight Premier League schedule, Enzo Maresca could not count on several key players: two were injured, and others remained in England preparing for their next league match.

After halftime, Chelsea made three substitutions and managed to equalise—2:2. Both teams had chances to score in the remaining time, but the score remained unchanged.

With strong chances for play-offs

Particular praise goes to Polish goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski as well as Mateus Silva, Emmanuel Addai, Elvin Jafarguliyev, Kevin Medina, and Bahlul Mustafazade for their high level of performance.

Following the draw with Chelsea in Baku, Garabagh has accumulated 7 points and ranks 15th among 34 teams. To advance to the next round, they must be among the top 24 teams; therefore, securing maximum points in the remaining four matches is crucial.

Garabagh’s next Champions League match will take place on November 25 in Italy against Napoli. The Italian club currently has only 4 points from 4 matches and is eager for victory. Rumour has it that this game might determine the fate of Napoli head coach Antonio Conte.