Karabakh (football club, Agdam)

• 1951-1977 - "Mehsul" (azerb. Məhsul - translated into Russian, "Harvest", by the name of the sports society)
• 1977-1982 - The Shafag
• 1982-1987 ^[5] - “Cooperator”
• 1987-2001 - “Karabakh”
• 2001-2004 - “Karabakh-Azersun”
• Since 2004 - “Karabakh”

The history of the club dates back to the early 1950s ^[5] . Immediately after the construction of the city stadium was completed in Agdam in 1951, the team began to function as a football club called Mehsul.

First took part in the championship of the Azerbaijan SSR in 1966, while taking 4th place. In 1968, he won the prize 2nd place. After 1968, the team began to decline, which ultimately leads to the complete collapse of the team. As a result, Mehsul remained on board the championship until 1977.

In 1977, the team was reborn again under the name "Shafag." In the same year, takes part in the 2nd league championship of the Azerbaijan SSR. Until 1982, the team was the only representative of the city of Agdam in the championship. In 1982-1987, the team performed under the name "Co-Operator".

In 1988, the Karabakh team for the first time in its history became the champion of the Azerbaijan SSR and thereby won the right to participate in the 2nd league of the USSR championship. In 1989, the team played in the 9th zone of the USSR championship and took 11th place in the standings, and D. Novruzov, who scored 20 goals in a season, took 6th place in the list of scorers ^[6] .

In 1992, after the collapse of the USSR, the first championship was held in independent Azerbaijan. “Karabakh” is one of the few clubs that participated in all Azerbaijani football championships ^[5] .

Difficult times for the club came in 1993, when Agdam was occupied by the armed forces of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic . Allahverdi Bagirov , who once trained the team, was killed in a car that was blown up by a mine. Subsequently, he was posthumously awarded the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan ^[7] .

The team began to conduct home games in Baku at the small stadium named after Tofig Ismayilov. It was from 1998 to 2001 that the team showed the lowest result among the strongest teams. As a result of financial problems, the leading players of “Karabakh” began to leave the team ^[5] .

Club problems have been resolved with the help of patrons. In 2001, the patronage of the team was taken by one of the largest holdings in Azerbaijan - Azersun. Almost all the players who left its ranks during the financial crisis were returned to the team. Since that time, the team officially changed its name to Karabakh-Azersun. Sponsorship supported the team’s results. In the 2003-2004 season, the team after a long break won the bronze medal of the championship.

In the 2004/05 season, an experienced specialist, former Neftchi forward, who was then working in Sweden, Igor Ponomarev, was invited to the post of head coach. The leading football players of Azerbaijan were invited to the team, among which the players of the national team dominated. In 2004, the name “Karabakh” was returned to the team. The club has its own logo, which depicts the Karabakh horses .

At the beginning of the 2005/06 season, the team was led by a young coach Elkhan Abdullaev . However, with him, the team played unevenly, and already in the winter break he was replaced by the experienced Beyukagu ​​Agaev . Under Agayev, the team won the 2005/06 Azerbaijan Cup and received a ticket to the UEFA Cup.

The 2006/07 season for the team began unsuccessfully: “Karabakh” failed to pass the “ Zimbru ” in the UEFA Cup, losing in the home game 1: 2. In the championship in 12 games, victories were won in only 3. As a result, in December 2006, Turkish specialist Rasim Kara took over as head coach ^[8] .

Since August 2008, the team has been coached by former Azerbaijani national team striker Gurban Gurbanov . Since 2009, the team has regularly (with the exception of 2012) played in the UEFA Europa League and entered the playoff round three times (2009, 2010 and 2013).

In the 2014/15 season, “Karabakh” for the second time in its history became the champion of Azerbaijan and received the right to play in the Champions League. “Garabagh” began its journey with the second qualification round. As a result of the draw, he got to the Malta Valletta - 1: 0, 4: 0. In the next round, they went to the Austrian Red Bull . In the first match, “Karabakh” won 2: 1, but lost the away match 0: 2, got into the round of the UEFA Europa League playoffs. In this round, the rival of Karabakh was the Dutch Twente . Having played at home 0: 0, and away 1: 1, “Karabakh” for the first time in its history received the right to play in the group stage of the European tournament. Thus, “Karabakh” became the second Azerbaijani club after “Neftchi”, playing in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League. In Group F, rivals for Karabakh were Milan Inter , Dnipro from Ukraine and Saint Etienne (France). By the last round of the group stage, in order to reach the 1/16 finals from second place, “Karabakh” needed to win the meeting with “Inter”, and with a score of 0-0 in the last 4th added minute of the match, “Karabakh” scored an opponent’s goal, but erroneously canceled by the arbitrators ^{[9] [10]} .

In the seasons 2015/16 and 2016/17, Karabakh also made it to the group stage of the UEFA Europa League.

In 2017, “Karabakh” becomes the first Azerbaijani club to enter the group stage of the Champions League . The Brazilian winger Pedro Enrique Konzen became the author of the first goal in the group stage of the Champions League, in the match against the Italian Roma on September 27, 2017 at the Olympic Stadium in Baku. The author of the assist was South African striker “Karabakh” Dino Ndlovu. “Garabagh” earned his first point in the Champions League group on October 18, having drawn a draw with “ Atletico Madrid ”. On October 31, a draw with Atletico (1: 1) was again registered on the road, adding one more point to the Karabakh asset in this Champions League round. The subsequent defeats from Chelsea and Roma 0-4 and 0-1, respectively, left Karabakh in last place in their group C , completing its performance in the 2017/18 Champions League.

National

Azerbaijan Championship

•   Champion (7): 1992/93, 2013/14 , 2014/15 , 2015/16 , 2016/17 , 2017/18 , 2018/19
•   Silver medalist (3): 1993/94 , 1996/97 , 2012/13
•   Bronze medalist (4):: 2001/02 , 2003/04 , 2009/10 , 2010/11

Azerbaijan Cup

•   Owner (6): 1993, 2005/06, 2008/09 , 2014/15 , 2015/16, 2016/17
•   Finalist (3): 1995/96, 1997/98, 1999/00

As of July 12, 2018

As of September 2, 2019 ^[12]

Management team

• Abdulbari Gözal - President
• Tahir Gözal - Vice President
• Fevzikhan Aras - Member of the Board
• Эмрах Челикель — директор

Тренерский штаб

• Гурбан Гурбанов — главный тренер
• Эльчин Рахманов — тренер
• Мушфиг Гусейнов — тренер
• Заур Тагизаде — тренер
• Эльхан Гасанов — тренер вратарей
• Чудомир Чокаров — тренер по физической подготовке

• Агасалим Мирджавадов (1991—1996, 2000—2001)
• Беюкага Агаев (1997—98, 2000, 2006)
• Шахин Диниев (2003—04)
• Игорь Пономарёв (2004—05)
• Эльхан Абдуллаев (2005)
• Расим Кара (2007—08) ^[13]
• Гурбан Гурбанов (2008, с августа — н.в.)

• Official website (azerb.) (Eng.)
• "The famous Karabakh horse is a horse." The most unexpected participant in the group round of the Champions League-2017/18