The Azerbaijan national football team is the national football team of Azerbaijan and is controlled by the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan. It represents Azerbaijan in international football competitions. The majority of Azerbaijan’s home matches are held at the national stadium, the Baku Olympic Stadium, with friendly matches sometimes hosted at club stadiums. Azerbaijan Football history.
The Azerbaijan national football team has participated in qualifying for every major tournament since Euro 1996 but has never qualified for a World Cup or European Championship final tournament. Nevertheless, Azerbaijan was the first Caucasus country to host a major tournament, UEFA Euro 2020, although the national team was the only host to be eliminated in the first round of qualifying.
Early History
In the early twentieth century, football began to become popular in Azerbaijan, then part of the Russian Empire. In 1912, Azerbaijani football players had their first “international match” and won 4:2 against the local “Sokol” team in Tbilisi, Georgia. During 1912–1913, matches held between the Azerbaijani and Georgian football teams, first in Tbilisi and then in Baku. In 1914, the Football Union was found in Azerbaijan. The Football Union undertook the organization of official city championships and other competitions.
1920-1990
The earliest record of football teams in Soviet Azerbaijan dates back to 1926–1927 when the Transcaucasian Championship held in Tbilisi. Three South Caucasian countries participated: Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia. The Azerbaijan national football team played its first friendly matches against Georgia and Armenia in 1927 in Georgia for the Transcaucasian Championship. Also in 1926, Azerbaijani football players played three matches against Iran’s football team in Baku. In 1929, three matches were play between these teams in Tehran. All the matches won by Azerbaijan players.
The 1960s is considered the golden age of Azerbaijani football as it produced great players such as Anatoly Banishevsky, Alkabar Mammadov, and football referee Taufik Bahramov, most famous for being the linesman who scored the 1966 World Cup. Assisted in scoring a goal for England in the World Cup final. and West Germany.
After 1990
After the independence of Azerbaijan in 1991, AFFA – Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan was form. In 1992, legendary Azerbaijani footballer Alekpar Mammadov became the first head coach of the Azerbaijan national football team, compiling a 3-1 record as a coach, including the first national team victory against Georgia on May 25, 1993. In 1994, the national team was accept by FIFA and UEFA. Security issues forced the team to play all Euro 96 qualifiers in Trabzon, Turkey.
21 Century
In the early 2000s, the Azerbaijan Football Federation began to add more players to the national team through FIFA’s eligibility rules. In February 2004, Carlos Alberto Torres, captain of Brazil’s 1970 FIFA World Cup winning team, was appoint as its national coach. Despite a poor start, a 0–6 defeat against Israel on 18 February, Azerbaijan won their first away match, 3–2 against Kazakhstan on 28 April. In June 2005, after a 3–0 defeat by Poland, Torres resigned. The post will be replace by former Neftchi coach Vagif Sadegov. Who is in his third stint as coach of Azerbaijan? Shaheen Dinayev took over as manager in November 2005. He resigned on 31 October 2007, and Gajko Hadzewski was name as Azerbaijan’s caretaker coach.
In April 2008, former German football player and coach Berti Vogts were appoint as manager of Azerbaijan on a two-year contract. Azerbaijan had a mixed qualifying campaign, finishing with 5 points, just missing out on last place Liechtenstein by 2 points.
In November 2009, AFFA extended Berti Vogts’ contract for a further two years. Making him the first manager to manage a weakened Azerbaijan national team in two qualification cycles.
In 2010
In 2010, after a surprise win against Turkey, the team reached 90th place in the FIFA world rankings. Azerbaijan’s highest-ever position in the country’s football history. After the victory against Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan also broke their own scoring. And points record by scoring 7 points and scoring 10 goals. Azerbaijan Football history.
In 2011
In November 2011, AFFA extended Berti Vogts’ contract for a further two years. Until the end of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification cycle. Under Vogts, Azerbaijan had some poor results, unable to beat second-tier sides. Vogts faced intense criticism, protests, and demonstrations from local supporters and the media. However, Azerbaijan managed to finish the qualification cycle in fourth place, the team’s best ever finish. In December 2013, Vogts was hand a new two-year contract, with the aim of leading Azerbaijan through Euro 2016 qualifying. In July 2014, Azerbaijan broke its ranking record by reaching 73rd place in the FIFA world rankings. After three successive defeats, Vogts stepped down after six years in charge of Azerbaijan.
Succeeding Vogts as full-time manager was former Croatia international Robert Piosenki. He guided the Azerbaijani team to another record points haul (10) in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying. But the team still finished fifth in the six-team Group C. Prosenki resigned after deciding not to extend his contract with the Azerbaijan Football Federation. And was succeed by fellow countryman Nikola Jurkovic. Azerbaijan Football history.
In 2020
UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying proved to be a disaster for Azerbaijan. As the team finished bottom with a total of seven defeats and just one draw. A surprise draws against 2018 FIFA World Cup runners-up Croatia, the manager’s home team. Is. Nikola Jercevic left after Azerbaijan’s poor performance. For more details click here