Qarabağ FK

The club was founded in 1951 as Mehsul after the Aghdam city stadium was built;[8][9][10] there then began a serious effort towards the creation of a professional football team.[11] Consequently, Qarabağ FK, playing under the name of Mehsul, took part in the 1966 Azerbaijani SSR championship.[8] That year, the club reached fourth place in the local championship.

Qarabağ participated in the local championship for four consecutive years during which second place was their best result (achieved in 1969[12]). After 1969, however, owing to carelessness and a lack of financial support, the team withdrew from the championships for almost ten years.[8] In 1977, the team was reborn under name Shafaq. In 1982 Shafaq was the only representative of Aghdam in football. Between 1982 and 1987, the squad used the name "Cooperative society". In 1988, Qarabağ won the champions title in the Azerbaijan SSR local championship under its current name.[8] In addition to championship medals, the club won the right to play in the Soviet Second League.

On 23 July 1993, during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, the city of Agdam was seized by Armenian armed forces,[13] and the team was forced to move from Imarat Stadium to Baku, while the former head coach and player of the team, Allahverdi Baghirov, died in the war.[14][15][16] Despite all these difficulties, in 1993, Qarabağ won the Top League as well as the Azerbaijan Cup. Financial problems plagued the club during the period from 1998 to 2001, and the club went through hard times although it became the first Azerbaijani team to win away from home in a European competition by defeating the Israeli side Maccabi Haifa in the 1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup thanks to a double strike from club legend[17] Mushfig Huseynov.[18] Qarabağ has also represented Azerbaijan in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Cup many times.

These problems were alleviated in 2001, when one of the largest holding companies of Azerbaijan, Azersun Holding, starting sponsoring the team. The squad used the name of Qarabag-Azersun for two seasons, but then returned its original name in 2004.[19]

Gurban Gurbanov the most successful Azerbaijani manager in European competitions.

In 2008, former Azerbaijani football star Gurban Gurbanov was appointed as head coach after the unexpected departure of Rasim Kara to Khazar Lankaran one week before the start of the 2008–09 season. Led by Gurban Gurbanov, Qarabağ have ignored a common strategy in Azerbaijani football: eschewing foreign signings in favour of nurturing local talent.[3] Gurbanov brought with him a tiki-taka style of play, characterised by short passes, long periods of build-up and players interchanging positions.[20]

Under Gurbanov, Qarabağ has become one of the most successful Azerbaijani football clubs in Europe (with three consecutive wins) and one which reached the UEFA Europa League play-off-round by beating Rosenborg in the UEFA Europa League, and also eliminated Honka of Finland.[21][22] The achievements in European competitions marked Gurban Gurbanov as among the most successful Azerbaijani managers ever.[23]

In 2010, the club set an Azerbaijani record for the most significant win in a European competition by beating Metalurg Skopje 4–1 in Baku and eliminating Wisła Kraków to reach the play-offs for the second year in succession.[24][25][26] In 2011, the club duplicated the same record by beating Banga Gargždai 4–0 in Gargždai.[27] The 2011–12 season ended in disappointing style for Qarabağ, however, as they finished in fourth place, leaving the club without European competition.[28] In 2013, Qarabağ reached Europa League play-off-round for third time in their history.[29][30]

In May 2014, Qarabağ earned its second league title after 21 years.[31] A month later, by beating Red Bull Salzburg, the club became first Azerbaijani side to win in the third round of UEFA Champions League.[32][33] In August 2014, the club reached Europa League play-off round for the fourth time in last five seasons.[34] In 2014, Qarabağ qualified for the 2014–15 Europa League group stage, becoming the second Azerbaijani team to advance to this stage in a European competition.[35] On 23 October 2014, after defeating[36] Ukrainian club Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 1–0, the team became the first Azerbaijani club to win a Europa League group stage match.[37][38]

In 2017, after victory over the Sheriff Tiraspol, Qarabağ qualified for the UEFA Champions League play-off rounds for the first time. In the first leg they recorded a 1–0 victory over Danish side F.C. Copenhagen in Baku.[39] Despite losing 2–1 in the second leg, Qarabağ won on away goals and became the first Azerbaijani team to reach the group stages of the UEFA Champions League.[40] They were drawn in Group C alongside Chelsea, Atlético Madrid and Roma, where they managed to obtain two points in six games after two draws and four losses.[41]

In July and August 2021, Qarabağ secured their first participation in the group stage of UEFA Europa Conference League. Qarabağ knocked-out Ashdod (0-0 and 1-0),[42] AEL Limassol (1-1 and 1-0)[43] and Aberdeen (1-0 and 3-1)[44] in the qualifiers. On 27 August, Qarabağ was drawn on Group H of the 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League alongside Basel, Kairat and Omonia.[45] Where they eventually placed 2nd in the group, making it to the rounds of 32.[46]

Qarabağ's traditional kit alludes to the club's location in Nagorno-Karabakh with the black and white representing light and darkness respectively. The club's kits are manufactured by Adidas and sponsored by Azersun, a Baku-based food producing company.

Updated 05 October 2023[64]

Rank	Team	Coefficient
58	Dynamo Kiev	26.500
59	CFR Cluj	26.500
60	Fenerbahçe	26.000
61	Qarabağ	26.000
62	PAOK	26.000
63	Midtjylland	25.500
64	Partizan	25.500

As of 21 August 2023[65]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 2 DF  BRA Matheus Silva 4 DF  AZE Rahil Mammadov 5 DF  AZE Maksim Medvedev (Captain) 6 MF  BRA Júlio Romão 7 MF  ALG Yassine Benzia 8 MF  MNE Marko Janković 10 MF  FRA Abdellah Zoubir 11 FW  FRA Adama Diakhaby 13 DF  AZE Bəhlul Mustafazadə 15 MF  CPV Leandro Andrade 17 FW  FRA Hamidou Keyta 18 FW  BRA Juninho 19 FW  ALB Redon Xhixha

No. Pos. Nation Player 20 MF  AZE Richard Almeida 23 GK  GEO Luka Gugeshashvili 27 DF  AZE Toral Bayramov 29 DF  MNE Marko Vešović 30 DF  AZE Abbas Hüseynov 44 DF  AZE Elvin Cafarguliyev 55 DF  AZE Badavi Guseynov 66 MF  CPV Patrick Andrade 81 DF  COL Kevin Medina 83 DF  AZE Nihad Guliyev 89 GK  AZE Amin Ramazanov 90 MF  AZE Nariman Akhundzade 99 GK  RUS Andrey Lunyov

For recent transfers, see 2022–23 Qarabağ FK season, Transfers summer 2023 and Transfers winter 2022–23.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  AZE Ismayil Ibrahimli (at Zira) — FW  AZE Rustam Akhmedzade (at Zira)

As of 21 September 2022

Qarabağ-2 plays in the Azerbaijan First Division from 2018. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 32 MF  AZE Rahim Jafarli 33 MF  AZE Huseyn Aliyev 34 FW  AZE Elvin Nasibov 39 FW  RUS David Saenko 45 MF  AZE Seykhan Farajov 47 MF  AZE Musa Musazade 49 MF  AZE Ali Najafli 54 FW  AZE Musa Mammadov 56 MF  AZE Elmir Abbasov 59 DF  AZE Rauf Huseynli 62 MF  AZE Nurlan Shabanov

No. Pos. Nation Player 66 MF  AZE Ruslan Bayramov 70 MF  AZE Mehdi Tahirov 71 GK  AZE Gurban Maharramov 73 DF  AZE Khayal Muradov 75 MF  AZE Ibrahim Aghayarov 79 MF  AZE Mirmovsum Janiyev 91 MF  AZE Elton Mikayilov 93 MF  AZE Ashraf Zeynalli 94 GK  AZE Ayhan Arazli 95 GK  AZE Mammad Huseynov

• Azerbaijan League[12]
  • Winners (10): 1993, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2022–23
  • Runners-up (4): 1993–94, 1996–97, 2012–13, 2020–21
• Azerbaijan Cup[74]
  • Winners (7): 1993, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2021–22
  • Runners-up (3): 1995–96, 1997–98, 1999–00
• Azerbaijan Supercup[75]
  • Winners (1): 1994

• Azerbaijan SSR League[12]
  • Winners (2): 1988, 1990
  • Runners-up (1): 1969
• Azerbaijan SSR Cup[74]
  • Winners (1): 1990